Distant Stars
by World of Make Believe
Summary: The fourth installment of my 'stars' series. The Clans have lived in peace for five moons in their new territory. Peppermint's kits have finally come, but with them, yet another prophecy. Full summary inside, please READ AND REVIEW!
1. Allegiances

**Well, I decided to be a generous person and post the allegiance up for now so I wouldn't forget. And special thanks to those who've reviewed my last story, they've all earned Amberkit plushies!**

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ALLEGIANCES

THUNDERCLAN

**LEADER: CINDERSTAR - **gray tabby she-cat

**DEPUTY: THORNCLAW - **golden brown tabby tom  
APPRENTICE, DOVEPAW

**MEDICINE CAT: RAINSHOWER - **blue-gray tom

**WARRIORS:**

**SQUIRRELFLIGHT - **dark ginger she-cat with green eyes  
APPRENTICE, STRIPEPAW

**SORRELTAIL - **tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

**BIRCHFALL - **light brown tabby tom

**MOUSEWHISKER - **gray-and-white tom

**FOXWHISKER - **reddish-tabby tom

**ROSEFOOT - **dark cream she-cat

**BUMBLESTRIPE - **very pale gray tom with black stripes

**HAZEPELT - **pale gray tom

**BRANCHFOOT - **brown tabby tom with white paws  
APPRENTICE, MANGOPAW

**MUDTALON - **dark brown tom with blue eyes  
APPRENTICE, BROWNPAW

**LEAPORDBLAZE - **spottedgolden tabby tom

**ICESTORM - **white she-cat

**FIRESPIRIT - **golden brown tabby tom

**EAGLEHEART - **big brown-and-white tom

**FLIGHTWING - **tortoiseshell she-cat with darker stripes

**STORMCLOUD - **dark gray tom

**EMBERTAIL - **light tortoiseshell she-cat

**APPRENTICES:**

**MANGOPAW - **dark ginger she-cat

**DOVEPAW - **gray tabby she-cat

**BROWNPAW - **pale gray she-cat with brown eyes

**STRIPEPAW - **very small pale gray tom with darker stripes and dark blue eyes

**QUEENS:**

**PEPPERMINT - **brown-and-black she-cat, mother of Eagleheart's kits: Amberkit(golden tabby she-cat), Blazekit(ginger tom with a flame-colored pelt) and Goldenkit(pale ginger she-cat)

**POPPYFROST - **tortoiseshell she-cat, expecting Mousewhisker's kits

**BRIARLEAF - **dark brown she-cat, expecting Thornclaw's kits

**ELDERS:**

**BRIGHTHEART - **white she-cat with ginger patches

SHADOWCLAN

**LEADER: DAWNSTAR - **cream-colored she-cat with blue eyes

**DEPUTY: SCORCHFUR - **dark gray tom

**MEDICINE CAT: FLAMECLOUD - **ginger tom  
APPRENTICE, FLOWERPAW(tortoiseshell she-cat)

**WARRIORS:**

**KINKFUR - **tabby she-cat with long fur that sticks out all over  
APPRENTICE, SAPPAW(dark brown tom)

**OWLFLIGHT - **light brown tabby tom

**TIGERHEART - **dark brown tabby tom

**LICHENFUR - **mottled dark brown tom  
APPRENTICE, GUSTPAW(dark ginger tom)

**SNOWBIRD - **pure white she-cat  
APPRENTICE, TWIGPAW(light brown-and-white tom)

**IVYTAIL - **tortoiseshell, black and white she-cat

**CLOVERFANG - **light brown she-cat with a white underbelly

**SHREWFOOT - **gray she-cat with two black feet

**WHITEWATER - **white she-cat with long hair, blind in one eye

**DARKCLAW - **dark ginger tom

**DUSKFIRE - **pale ginger tom

**QUEENS:**

**DAWNSTAR - **(see leader description) expecting

**SPECKLEFUR - **speckled ginger she-cat, expecting

**ELDERS:**

**TOADFOOT - **dark brown tom

WINDCLAN

**LEADER: WEASELSTAR - **ginger tom with white paws  
APPRENTICE, BUZZARDPAW(small dark gray tom with one white paw)

**DEPUTY: SPECKLEFOOT - **tortoiseshell she-cat with ginger paws

**MEDICINE CAT: WOODTAIL - **mottled brown tom

**WARRIORS:**

**WILLOWCLAW - **gray she-cat

**HEATHERTAIL - **light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes  
APPRENTICE, HERONPAW(pale gray she-cat)

**SEDGEPELT - **light brown tabby she-cat  
APPRENTICE, SAGEPAW(silver tabby tom)

**HAWKCLAW - **tawny-colored she-cat

**SWALLOWFLIGHT - **dark gray she-cat

**HAZELFERN - **small brown she-cat

**QUEENS:**

**SHADEFLOWER - **dark gray she-cat, mother of Cinderkit(gray-and-white tom) and Shockkit(black tom with bright yellow eyes)

**ELDERS:**

**OWLWHISKER - **light brown tabby tom, retired early due to a lamed leg

RIVERCLAN

**LEADER: REEDSTAR - **black tom

**DEPUTY: SHELLSPOTS - **blue-gray she-cat with white underbelly and white paws

**MEDICINE CAT: WILLOWSHINE - **gray tabby she-cat  
APPRENTICE, LOCUSTPAW(black-and-white she-cat)

**WARRIORS:**

**POUNCETAIL - **ginger-and-white tom

**RAINSTORM - **mottled blue-gray tom  
APPRENTICE, BERRYPAW(tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat)

**DUSKFUR - **brown tabby she-cat

**PEBBLENOSE - **mottled gray tom  
APPRENTICE, DRIFTPAW(very pale gray, almost white tom)

**SNEEZEPELT - **gray-and-white tom

**ROBINWING - **tortoiseshell-and-white tom  
APPRENTICE, FALLOWPAW(light gray tabby she-cat)

**SANDFANG - **light brown tabby she-cat

**DRIZZLEFERN - **ginger she-cat

**SHALLOWWATER - **gray tabby she-cat

**COPPERSTRIPE - **dark ginger she-cat

**TIMBERCLAW - **gray-and-white tabby tom

**RYEPELT - **dust-colored tom

**QUEENS:**

**DAISYTAIL - **long-haired cream-colored she-cat, mother of Otterkit, Swoopingkit and Brazankit

**PINEFUR - **short-haired tabby she-cat, expecting

**BLUEFERN - **tortoiseshell-and-gray she-cat, mother of Graykit, Oakkit and Talonkit

**ELDERS:**

**BEECHFUR - **light brown tom

**MOSSPELT - **tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

CATS OUTSIDE CLANS:

**SOLAR - **long-haired golden tabby tom with bright amber eyes

**JACK - **thin ginger tom with green eyes, a kittypet

**KIMBA - **long-haired tortoiseshell maincoone, a kittypet


	2. Prologue

**So here's the prologue! Please enjoy!**

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~Prologue~

Dark clouds began to gather around the sky, blocking out what was left of the moon. A storm was gathering in the darkness, and droplets of rain stabbed the ground. It was warm though, with the grateful scents of greenleaf and the trees still full of bright green leaves.

Below the sky, a clearing that was surrounded by thick trees was covered. A black she-cat stood in the center of it. She gazed into a vast pool with bright green eyes. Her gaze was full of worry as she looked into the pool. She was always watching, careful to not miss any news StarClan might bring her of her grand kits. They had come five moons ago, but even now, she still hadn't received any news of their coming.

"Why are you still searching for answers?" came an irritated voice. She looked up to see that a gray tabby cat with sightless blue eyes had shown up. He strolled over to her side, and he looked rather bored and annoyed. "You know StarClan won't tell you anything," he added with a lash of his tail.

"I'm tired of waiting," added a second cat. This time it came from a silver tabby she-cat, though she was barely the age of a warrior. She was an apprentice, who had been killed when she was out with her brother in the forest.

The black she-cat sighed angrily and stood up from her crouching position. These cats irked her more then anything. Jayfeather, the gray tabby, wanted nothing to do with Peppermint's kits. And Moonpaw, well, Moonpaw was just strange. Moonpaw had her own special talent. She could go and visit any cat she wanted, just like Jayfeather, only her powers seemed ten times stronger then anyone elses.

"These are your kin," she hissed. "Do you not care for them?"

"Of course they care," came a third, stronger voice. She turned to see Runningmoon coming towards them, a sleek and swift tabby tom, with powerful shoulders and bold looking amber eyes. Beside him was a beautiful sand-colored she-cat, whose eyes were full of curiosity.

"Why did you bring _her_ here?" growled Moonpaw. Her eyes were narrowed into tiny slits, and the black she-cat noticed to her amusement the tiniest hint of jealousy. Moonpaw had been unusually close to Runningmoon when they were apprentices. Now that they were together again, Runningmoon still spent his time with Mouseflight.

"She should be part of this meeting as well," Runningmoon replied. He exchanged a loving look with Mouseflight, and Moonpaw snorted with disgust.

"Enough fighting," the black cat, known as Hollystar, meowed. "We have enough to worry about without the two of you constantly bickering." She was pleased when they looked away, and she stared back into the pool. Suddenly, ripples formed in its waters, and she let out a fierce hiss. Her claws clutched the muddy ground, and she began to shake violently. The other cats looked at her in confusion, and Jayfeather ran to her side.

"What's wrong?" he demanded. His eyes were dark with worry, despite the annoyance he had felt earlier.

"No," she muttered. Her teeth gritted together, and her eyes rolled white. "It can't be!"

As Jayfeather followed her gaze, he let out a shocked gasp. "The path has been open!" he growled.

"What path?" Runningmoon and Moonpaw asked together. Mouseflight remained silent as they tried to figure this out. Her mind was clouded with confusion, though she could hardly understand why. Something terrible was happening, that was all she knew.

"A path that must never be open," Jayfeather muttered. He was speaking in riddles, and Moonpaw hissed in frustration. "The path of history has been open, by cats from the Dark Forest."

"What?" screeched a forth cat. All cats turned to see a blue-gray she-cat with a silver muzzle padding towards them. Her eyes were wide with shock as she stared at them. "How did this happen?" she demanded, casting her look at Hollystar.

"It must have happened while we were getting settled," she replied, sounding dumbfounded. "Snakeclaw knew about it, so the others must have found out too."

The forth cat looked furious. And rightfully so. Her name was Bluestar, and she had been one of the greatest leaders around, next to Firestar and Bramblestar. Hollystar knew that this meant danger to the Clans. These cats would be out for revenge, and they would cause so much misfortune.

"Than perhaps it is time to give a prophecy once more," Bluestar sighed with a shake of her head.

"But this is so much more then a prophecy," Hollystar pointed out. "It could mean the end of the Clans."

Bluestar nodded, looking grave. "If the Clans are to survive, then we must choose wisely," she meowed. Settling down next to Hollystar, she lifted a paw and placed it into the water. Ripples formed once more, and a strange image appeared. Hollystar's eyes widened in astonishment, while Moonpaw and Runningmoon gasped. "The lives of the Clans depend on this single cat," she meowed, suddenly looking into the sky. "She has a destiny like no other."

Hollystar closed her eyes and looked terrified. "My poor daughter," she mewed quietly. Her other daughter, Silverpond, had died during the Journey, saving the life of an apprentice. Silverpond had been devastated when her two kits died, and so, she gave up her own life to be with them once more. Now, Peppermint was her only surviving kit, and she had kits herself. Was Hollystar being punished for being Hollyleaf's reincarnation?

"We must act quickly, before the danger grows stronger," Bluestar said. She pressed her muzzle onto the pool, and the shape disappeared...


	3. Chapter 1

**Sorry for the fast update, I couldn't resist posting the first chapter! So here it is!**

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~Chapter 1~

Ferns and bracken surrounded the clearing; their scents flooding Amberkit's nose. She sighed as she looked down at the ground. A crisp golden leaf had fallen; the first signs of an early leaffall. No cats liked Leaffall, for it was a sure sign that leafbare would follow. And Amberkit was the type of cat who hated the cold. She had a short, sleek pelt compared to everyone else in her family. And she knew exactly where she got it from too.

She padded forward, but then stopped when something stirred in the undergrowth. Her eyes and ears pricked intensely for a hunt, she stalked forward, towards the sound. The leaves were rustling loudly enough for even a mouse to hear, and suddenly, Amberkit sprang, unable to control the urge to chase any longer.

But just as she was about to catch the creature making the noise, it slipped out of her reach. She hissed in frustration as she watched it scrabble through the undergrowth, well away from her extended claws. Amberkit whirled around, searching out who had distracted her. But she stopped in mid turn when she spotted a cat standing behind her. Her eyes widened in alarm when she realized that she didn't recognize this cat. Flexing her claws out, they dug into the earth, though Amberkit hardly heard the scraping sound. "What are you doing in ThunderClan territory?" she snarled.

The silver tabby chuckled in amusement, and Amberkit found herself relaxing a little. This cat obviously meant no threat to her, but she wondered why she was here. Then Amberkit noticed something strange about the tabby. Stars gleamed brightly in her pelt, and her eyes were a bright silver color, like Amberkit's own eyes. Amberkit quickly realized that this was a cat from StarClan. But another question, one that was important, buzzed in her mind. What did this cat want with a kit?

"Hello Amberkit," the tabby purred in a pleasant, melodic tone. Amberkit's eyes widened even more at the mention of her name. This cat knew who she was! "It's nice to finally meet the daughter of Peppermint and Eagleheart," she added, and there was a slight ring that Amberkit caught in her voice.

Amberkit just stared at the silver tabby with her mouth hanging open. She didn't know what to say, or do for that matter. Her brain was telling her to run, but her muscles didn't budge. Instead, she kept quiet and waited for this strange cat to say something else.

"I've waited a long time to finally meet you," she finally meowed. "For I have an important message, that you must follow carefully..." The tabby's image began to fade before she could say anything, and Amberkit wanted to yowl in frustration. How was she supposed to understand the message if she couldn't even see this strange cat? But the cat disappeared, and Amberkit was left alone in the strange forest.

"Wake up!" The golden tabby kit struggled in her nest. A claw had jabbed her side, and she wanted to be left alone. "Wake up you mouse-brain!" the voice came again.

Amberkit opened her eyes and groaned softly. Her vision was a bit hazy, but when it cleared, she saw that her nest had been torn apart by her sharp claws. With a shake of her pelt, she rose to her paws and licked the scraps of moss that had caught her pelt. Blazekit, her brother, was looking at her with a worried expression on his face. Amberkit knew it was nothing more then a practical joke, and he was just waiting to jibe her about something.

She stopped licking her fur when she noticed that Goldenkit had gone. Amberkit looked at Blazekit in confusion, and he just shrugged. She continued grooming herself until she was certain that her pelt was clean. Then Amberkit padded out of the nursery and saw that Goldenkit had already been to the fresh-kill pile. She was eating a tiny vole that had to have been nothing more then a baby. Licking her lips hungrily, she padded over and grabbed a mouse herself. Blazekit followed her and sat at her side, and they ate together.

"What were you yowling about in your sleep?" Goldenkit asked when she had finished. She looked up at Amberkit, and Amberkit's ears flattened in embarrassment. She knew this was a question her siblings would ask. The problem was, she didn't know how she would answer it.

"I just had a nightmare," she lied. Part of it was true. She wasn't sure what the dream meant. Maybe she could ask Rainshower, the medicine cat for advice. But he would be too busy looking after Poppyfrost and Briarleaf to worry about her dream. Poppyfrost's belly was huge now, and he said that it wouldn't be long until her kits finally came. She had been in the nursery the night Amberkit and her siblings were born. Briarleaf on the other hand still had a long way to go.

"Maybe you should talk to Rainshower about it," Blazekit mumbled as though he had read her thoughts.

"I'd rather not annoy him," Amberkit replied, shuffling her paws on the ground. Rainshower had become irritable over the last three moons, partly because he still didn't have an apprentice to help him with his tasks. He was getting old, but Amberkit wasn't ready to see him go yet. She wanted him to be around for as long as he could.

"Come on, just do it," Blazekit meowed. He nudged her, and Amberkit suddenly glared at him, giving her brother exactly what he wanted. She dropped to a crouch, and he did the same. Goldenkit just rolled her eyes and padded to the side, not wanting to be part of their fight. Amberkit lunged at him with her claws sheathed, and nearly rolled over her head. Blazekit had ducked just in time, and now he whirled around and jabbed her belly with his paws sharply.

Amberkit nipped at his paws as they came towards her, and Blazekit leaped back in surprise. Seeing her advantage, she leaped through the air and caught him by his scruff. Blazekit was somewhat smaller then her, and Amberkit always thought of some nickname for him. Her latest was 'Tinykit', and she would often call him that just to annoy the fur off of him. And her tactic was working. But suddenly, Blazekit fell limply, and Amberkit dropped him in alarm.

Blazekit's eyes gleamed and he lunged at her, knocking the breath out of Amberkit. She landed on the ground with a thud and he had her pinned down. He placed a single paw on her neck, signaling that he had won the fight.

"Looks like I win yet again," he crowed.

"Now that's how an apprentice should fight." Both kits turned to see that Leapordblaze had approached them. His eyes gleamed with amusement as Amberkit glared at her brother, and he gave a soft purr. "Now, now, there's no need t continue arguing," he meowed.

Both kits looked down at their paws. Leapordblaze had taken a keen interest in the kits since they'd opened their eyes. Amberkit knew very well that it was because Peppermint was their mother. Silverpond, her sister and Leapordblaze's mate, had died many moons ago. Leapordblaze did everything he could to keep her memory alive, though most cats had sadly forgotten her. Peppermint always told them stories of how she and Silverpond would go on wonderful adventures when they were kits, and she told them of their mother, Hollystar. Amberkit's eyes always had a strange glow in them every time Peppermint mentioned Hollystar, the formed ThunderClan leader.

Hollystar had died bravely by killing Breezestar, the WindClan leader who had killed Ashstar. But in the end, she had died from the terrible eruption from the Lake, which had been caused from an earthquake. Amberkit was always fascinated with these stories, and she constantly wanted to hear more about them.

"Thanks Leapordblaze," Goldenkit sighed as she padded forward. Her own eyes glowed as she looked at Amberkit and Blazekit. "You really do need to stop fighting," she added.

_Only until he gets bigger, _Amberkit thought with a wide grin. She'd do whatever it took to make Blazekit miserable, even if he was her brother. She cared for him a great deal, but she loved Goldenkit even more because they were sisters. Blazekit didn't really matter to her that much, so long as he stayed out of her way and never got into trouble, which he constantly did.

"Hey you three, would you mind helping me organize my herbs?" Rainshower called from the medicine cats' den. Amberkit's ears pricked with interest. Rainshower almost never asked them to do anything like that unless something really important was going on. She followed Goldenkit and Blazekit into his den, and instantly the rank stench of the bitter herbs touched her scent glandes.

"I've got to go check on Poppyfrost, she's been pacing around her nest lately," Rainshower meowed as they stepped in. "Now all you have to do is place these in the pile of leaves that look like them," he instructed. He placed a strong smelling dark green leaf onto a pile of them and looked at the kits to make sure they understood. Amberkit blinked, instantly knowing what he meant.

She began to work out in her mind which herb was which. She had been in the medicine cats' den only once, when she was very young. She had accidentally gotten a thorn stuck in her pad when she was playing with Blazekit, and had to get it removed by Rainshower's skillful paws. Since then she had grown an inept curiosity towards herbs, though Amberkit knew that she would never want to be one. They couldn't take a mate, and if they did, their punishment could be volatile.

Blazekit was about to put some coltsfoot in the coltsfoot pile when Amberkit saw something strange in the back of Rainshower's den. Her eyes narrowed as she searched out the source of the light, and then she spotted it. It was hidden in a crack, between the stone walls. Amberkit padded towards it, suddenly feeling a strange tug at her paws. It was as though the stone was calling her. Her siblings stopped their work when they noticed that she had stopped too.

The glowing object seemed to burn her eyes, though Amberkit continued padding forward, until she saw what it was. It was a tiny stone, wedged between the stone wall. It looked as though it had been placed there on purpose, but Amberkit didn't know why are who put it there. At first she had thought it might have been Rainshower, or even Blazekit playing a joke on her. But as she looked closer, she saw that it was stuck. It was a naturally carved stone, though it was smooth and round.

"Amberkit, what are you looking at?" Goldenkit's voice broke the trance. Amberkit turned her head to see that the pale ginger she-cat had joined her, and her eyes were full of worry. "You looked like you were going to be sick," her sister chided.

"I did?" Amberkit murmured. She sounded like she was too. She shook her head and tried to clear it, but the stone's image was still clear in her mind.

"Come on, we're done here," Blazekit added, looking proudly at his pile. Amberkit sighed and padded away from the ledge, though it felt like the stone was still calling her forward. "I don't know how Rainshower can stand it," he grunted when they were out of the den. "I know I would never be able to put up with those herbs."

"Me neither," Goldenkit agreed. She shuffled the ground with her tiny paws and looked at the nursery. Cats were milling around it, looking worried. Most of all, Mousewhisker was pacing around it and casting glances at the entrance. "Poppyfrost must be giving birth!" Goldenkit gasped.

With the stone forgotten, Amberkit and her brother followed their sister. The news of Poppyfrost's birth had spread like wildfire, and now, the whole Clan was gathered. But all Amberkit could hear, was the tortoiseshell's yowls of pain that raked the nursery. Was something going wrong?


	4. Chapter 2

**Here's the second Chapter!**

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~Chapter 2~

_A warrior! _Blazekit's eyes widened with excitement at the mention of the word. Mangopaw had come in earlier and announced that Cinderstar was holding her warrior ceremony today. He had noticed the dark ginger apprentice's eyes blazing when she told him. Amberkit and Goldenkit had been talking at the time, but when he told them the news, their eyes also had a twinkle in them.

Poppyfrost had given birth two days ago to two beautiful kits, Aspenkit and Midnightkit. Aspenkit had dark gray fur with white patches like his father, Mousewhisker, while Midnightkit had sleek black fur, like Molepelt, who had died four moons earlier, when greencough struck the camp. Poppyfrost had been devastated for only one moon, until she learned that her kits were coming. Almost instantly she had cheered up, and now, the nursery was full of squealing, mewling kits.

Eagleheart and Peppermint were sharing tongues near the fresh-kill pile, where Amberkit and Goldenkit had seated themselves. Blazekit, who had taken to sitting alone, bounded over. He nearly tackled his father down, who was ten times his size. Eagleheart gave a startled yowl and Peppermint purred with amusement. "You're getting too big for this!" the big brown-and-white tom meowed.

Blazekit gave a soft purr and jabbed at his ears playfully, while Goldenkit just rolled her eyes once more. _She never wants to play, _Blazekit thought as he stepped off of his father. Goldenkit was the quietest of the three, but that didn't stop Blazekit from antagonizing her. He loved it when she got furious with him, because it meant they could actually play a game.

"It won't be long before they're apprentices," Squirrelflight pointed out from her post. She had just returned with her apprentice, Stripepaw, who was quietly eating near the apprentices' den. Of all the cats in the Clan, she had to get stuck with training him. Blazekit felt sorry for Squirrelflight, because Stripepaw was the type of cat who never spoke. He was so quiet, like Goldenkit, only even he didn't play. "You should enjoy them while they last," the dark ginger she-cat added.

_Is she thinking of her own kit? _Blazekit thought as he looked at Leapordblaze. The spotted golden tabby had grown considerably large over the last seasons, and he had matured as well. But there were times when Leapordblaze acted like a silly apprentice, especially when he was near the nursery. Blazekit sometimes wondered if Leapordblaze missed having kits around, or if he just missed Silverpond, their aunt.

Peppermint nodded in agreement and turned her attention to the SmoothRock, where Cinderstar held Clan meetings. Under the SmoothRock was the gray tabby's den, a small and enclosed cave that had only been found recently by Dovepaw, another apprentice.

"Let all cats old enough gather around the SmoothRock for a Clan meeting!" Cinderstar's yowl carried across the clearing. Blazekit and his siblings stopped what they were doing to look up. The gray tabby had positioned herself on top of the SmoothRock, and was now looking down at the Clan with a proud gaze.

Mangopaw was sitting beside her mentor, Branchfoot, who looked like he was bristling with excitement. Blazekit remembered hearing from Peppermint that Mangopaw was his first apprentice, and this must have meant a lot for the brown tabby who was taken in so long ago. Mangopaw's pelt was groomed sleek, and her green eyes were blazing with pride as she looked up at the ThunderClan leader.

When the Clan had gathered around to hear the news, Cinderstar began. "Branchfoot has confirmed that his apprentice is ready to earn her warrior name. I, Cinderstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors so that they may look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her a warrior to you in turn." Cinderstar paused for a moment before continuing. "Mangopaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and defend your Clan, even with your life?"

The dark ginger she-cat lifted her chin and gazed up at Cinderstar with clear green eyes. "I do," she meowed.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Mangopaw, from now on you will be known as Mangofern. StarClan honors you for your good humor and ability to adapt to the most unusual things."

Mangofern bowed her head as Cinderstar pressed her muzzle on it. In return, she licked the tabby's shoulder out of respect. Embertail, who had only received her name a moon ago, padded forward and gave her friend a gentle shove. Blazekit suddenly felt a pang of jealousy as he watched the Clan congratulate her. He wished that he could be there, getting the praise instead of Mangofern. But no, he was still only five moons old, and it would take a whole other moon before he could be an apprentice. He glowered at the ground, and began to think of ways to become an apprentice faster then Amberkit and Goldenkit.

"Blazekit get off!" The ginger tom groaned softly as he felt paws batter at his stomach. He rolled to the side and blinked several times to see that he had rolled on Amberkit. She was glowing at him indigently, as if it was his fault she had almost been crushed. "Why do you have to be so noisy in your sleep?" she growled through a yawn.

He suddenly felt a strange pang in his belly. Blazekit quickly rose to his paws and ignored her hiss of frustration. He had business to take care of, and quickly. As he made his way to the dirtplace, he saw that Rainshower was speaking quietly to Cinderstar, whose head was lowered in concern. He paused for a moment and looked around for a good hiding place. When he spotted it, he lodged himself squarely inside it so that the two cats wouldn't hear him.

"Someone raided your den?" Cinderstar meowed, sounding surprised.

Rainshower nodded. His amber eyes were blazing with fury, and his claws clutched the ground as if he was holding himself back from clawing at her muzzle. "I noticed it when one of...my herbs were missing," he replied quickly. Blazekit tilted his head in confusion, and then suddenly remembered how Amberkit had acted so strangely. "It must be one of Peppermint's kits," he added with a soft growl. "I just know they stole the herb!"

"Calm down," Cinderstar purred. She gently flicked her tail across the medicine cat's ears, and Rainshower lowered his gaze, looking guilty. "I'm sure that Peppermint would have said something anyways if her kits did take something. She's got a keen eye on them."

The blue-gray tom stiffened when a leave next to Blazekit rustled. He sniffed it cautiously, hoping that it wouldn't give him away. "I'm going to keep an eye on them, just the same," Rainshower muttered. With a flick of his tail, he left the bewildered ThunderClan leader alone.

Blazekit saw this as an opportunity and slipped past them without getting noticed. He wondered exactly what Rainshower meant by keeping an eye on them. Amberkit was obviously the one to blame, so why not ask her? And then the thought shot through Blazekit like a claw: Rainshower was afraid of them.


	5. Chapter 3

**So thanks xXPantheraXx, Moonstreak1, Grayfur and flareon200 for reviewing! Sorry it took me so long to update, I sort of lost interest in the story after no one reviewed and then I got hit with them^^**

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~Chapter 3~

Bright rays of sunlight poked through the nursery, nearly blinding Goldenkit. She opened her eyes to see what was happening, and saw that Amberkit and Blazekit had already gone out. She remembered Blazekit leaving the nursery the night before. When he returned he had muttered something about Rainshower not trusting him, and she had stared at him in confusion. Had her brother sneaked into the medicine cats den?

She shook her head, wondering what to do when she heard a squeal coming from Poppyfrost's nest. Goldenkit looked over to see that Aspenkit had been trampled over by Midnightkit, the bigger of her litter. Goldenkit stifled a purr of amusement as she watched the two.

Poppyfrost was fast asleep; the tortoiseshell queen deserved rest after putting up with her kits all night. They had been mewling about something, and had even woken Goldenkit at one point.

"Hello Goldenkit." She turned to see her mother sitting in her nest, grooming herself. Peppermint looked like she was ready to burst with excitement. Eagleheart had told her that he would keep an eye on her kits, letting her go out into the forest for a change. She had grown restless over the last moon because she hadn't been out on a patrol or hunting.

"Where are Amberkit and Blazekit?" Goldenkit asked, thinking of the two getting into mischief. It would be just like them to get themselves into trouble.

"I believe they went to the elders' den," Peppermint replied. The black-and-brown she-cat's eyes flashed. They were they same shade of green as Goldenkit's eyes, and the pale ginger kit felt quite proud with herself for this fact.

Goldenkit sighed and padded out of the nursery. Eagleheart was sitting near the nursery entrance, keeping a close eye near the elders' den. Goldenkit could see her brother and sister pestering Brightheart to tell them a story. She heard Blazekit's pestering mew, and Amberkit's bright, enthusiastic voice.

With a roll of her eyes, she padded over to them and greeted Brightheart promptly, who was shaking her head in frustration. Goldenkit down in front of her and looked at her siblings, who were still arguing over what story should be told.

"Come on!" Amberkit huffed irritably. "We've only heard Hollystar's story about a dozen times!" Blazekit scoffed the ground with his claws and nearly raked his sister's ears. Without even thinking about it, Goldenkit lunged at her brother. She already had him pinned to the ground next to an annoyed Brightheart, and he let out a hiss of frustration.

"Stop arguing for StarClan's sake!" she spat. "You're acting worse then a nest of jack dolls."

Amberkit lowered her gaze while Blazekit still narrowed his eyes at Goldenkit. She looked up at Brightheart, who gazed at her in relief. "Can you tell us a story about Leafpool?" she asked quietly and politely.

Brightheart purred in amusement and flicked her tail over the three kits' ears. "An excellent choice Goldenkit," she replied. The four of them settled down promptly, although Blazekit and Amberkit still looked furious.

_I swear one day the Clan's going to turn on them, _Goldenkit thought angrily.

Brightheart began to describe what Leafpool was like. Goldenkit remembered that the white-and-ginger she-cat had been around even before Leafpool was born. She had heard stories of where Bluestar, the former leader of ThunderClan, gave Brightheart a horribly cruel name. Bluestar gave her the name 'Lostface' because Brightheart had been mauled by dogs.

"Leafpool was an unusual cat," Brightheart meowed. "She was always close to StarClan, but...she had an especially close connection with Squirrelflight. In fact, some believe it's because of her special gift that Jayfeather and Lionblaze were as powerful as they were." The white she-cat paused for a moment, and both Amberkit and Blazekit looked at her eagerly, willing her to go on. "Then the Clan found out she gave birth, which is forbidden if you are a medicine cat."

"Until now!" Goldenkit piped in. Cinderstar, Dawnstar, Reedstar and Weaselstar had added a new law to the warrior code. Medicine cats were allowed to have kits, so long as they were within the Clan. Rainshower still hadn't shown any signs of loving someone, and Goldenkit couldn't possibly understand why.

He was a young and handsome tom, with bright features. But Peppermint told her that he had loved Hollystar with all his heart, and when she died, a part of his heart went with her.

"Correct," Brightheart agreed, pleased with Goldenkit's intuition. "Now, after the Clans found out that she had harbored kits, they exiled her. It was a cold and lonely life for her, especially after she was rejected so coldly by Crowfeather. So...she came back. She begged Bramblestar for mercy, and was killed."

Goldenkit lowered her tail in sadness as she thought of the horrible way Leafpool was killed. Lionblaze, her own grandfather, had killed Leafpool. He had blood lust upon him, and that was what had happened. She often wondered if the same sense of battle-ship was within her own blood. After all, Lionblaze, and Leafpool, were her kin.

"Great story!" Amberkit squeaked. Her gray eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Thank you," Brightheart purred. "Now run off you three." She flicked her tail and Blazekit dashed away, with Amberkit close behind. Goldenkit followed a little more slowly, feeling slightly reluctant to leave the elder.

_It must be lonely in there, when there's only one cat, _she said to herself thoughtfully. But then, Brightheart had Whitewing and Whitewing's kits to look after. She was never alone, and for that, Goldenkit felt somewhat better.

"I can't believe we'll be apprentices soon," Blazekit mewed as they neared the apprentices' den. His eyes were glowing with excitement as he spoke to Dovepaw and Brownpaw, who were sitting close together.

Stripepaw had gone out with Squirrelflight on a patrol earlier. Goldenkit could see that he wasn't getting along well with his mentor. She wished that there was some way she could make him feel better. She wished, she could help him fit in with the Clan.

"It won't be long," Dovepaw pointed out with a twitch of her whiskers.

"Yeah, I can't wait to have more apprentices clean out Brightheart's den for us," Brownpaw added in a huff.

Blazekit narrowed his eyes in disgust. "Cleaning out the elders' den," he muttered. "That can be Amberkit's job."

The golden tabby she-kit glared at him. "Since when do you give the orders?" she hissed. "You're not deputy yet!"

Goldenkit rolled her eyes when she realized that they were going to fight again. "Do you know where Stripepaw and Squirrelflight went?" she asked when she turned to Dovepaw.

The gray tabby shrugged and looked doubtful for a moment. "I'm not sure where Squirrelflight goes with him," she replied. "I don't really like Stripepaw."

"Me neither," Brownpaw agreed. "Did you see the way his eyes flashed when he looked at Squirrelflight? It was like he was waiting for them to be alone." Brownpaw shuddered as she pictured his cold blue eyes.

_And why is he so mysterious? _Goldenkit wondered with a tilt of her head. She had often wondered why half of the Clan shunned him. Bumblestripe acted like Stripepaw was the greatest cat in the world, while Rosefoot treated him like he was still her kit.

"Come on, lets get some fresh-kill," Blazekit whispered when Brownpaw and Dovepaw broke into conversation.

Goldenkit followed her siblings like a loyal warrior and grabbed a thrush from the pile. It would not only feed herself, but it would also feed Peppermint as well.

Just as the three kits were about to start eating, Sorreltail, Hazepelt and Branchfoot bounded into the camp. Goldenkit sprang to her paws when she saw that their eyes were wide with fear.

"ShadowClan scent is everywhere in the territory!" Hazepelt hissed. And just as he said it, the whole of ThunderClan crept out of their dens.

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**I know, I know! A really cheezy ending. I'm sorry, I wasn't sure what else to add. Please review and I'll be nice to you^^**


	6. Chapter 4

**Well, thanks Moonstreak1 for actually reviewing. You've earned an Amberkit plushie for actually noticing the updates! Forgive me if there are a lot of spelling errors. This stupid computer won't let me do a spell check!**

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~Chapter 4~

Sweeping moorland stretched in front of Amberkit. Her gray eyes were stretched wide with a sense of forboding as she padded forward. Suddenly, the moorland disappeared. It was replaced by a vast pine forest, with shadows that seemed to stretch endlessly. Amberkit let out a screech of terror when a large shadow-like claw reached out for her. Her tail shot up in the air, and she started running for her life.

"Someone help me!" she wailed, but to her dismay, no one answered her calls of distress. The claw suddenly grabbed her, and pain enemated from the spot. Her eyes closed shut tightly as she tasted the scent of blood in the air. "No, I can't go to StarClan now!" Amberkit growled, suddenly feeling a wave of strength take over. She thought of Goldenkit and Blazekit, and what they might be like if she disappeared from their lives.

Suddenly something stopped her. Amberkit opened her eyes, and they were as wide as the moon. A tabby cat was sitting in front of her. The same cat she had seen earlier; only the tabby's eyes were gleaming with amusement rather then fear. Amberkit's fur began to bristle when she realized that it had been nothing more then a terrible dream. And she began to wonder if this cat had anything to do with it.

"Greetings young Amberkit," the tabby meowed with a wave of her tail, which was dappled with silver flecks. Amberkit narrowed her eyes and looked away. This cat was nothing but trouble. She wanted to live a peaceful life like other kits, and this cat wouldn't let her. "I see you've met the Shadow," she added when Amberkit didn't respond.

Instantly Amberkit's ears pricked with interest. _Shadow?_ The word sounded so strange to her, and yet, it also sounded dangerous. "What shadow?" she demanded furiously.

"The one that tried to grab you," the tabby purred. "Luckily I came just in time. You are in more danger then you realize, young kit." Amberkit tilted her head in confusion. What exactly did this cat mean by danger?

"How...how do you know my name?" Amberkit asked, changing tactics.

"I've been watching over you far longer then StarClan have," the tabby replied. She looked at Amberkit dubiously and nodded as though she had said the right thing. "When you were first born, I saw that the Shadow had grown stronger. It is after your very spirit."

"My...my spirit?" Amberkit squeaked. Her eyes were wide with horror at the very thought of it. She pictured the long, shadow-like claw, and remembered the searing pain she felt when it dug into her skin. "But why?"

The tabby shrugged and looked at the sky in thought and the wonder of it. "Who knows? The Shadow is uncontrollable as far as I am concerned. But it cannot reach StarClan."

"Who put it here?" Amberkit asked. She began to wonder if this cat would ever get to the answer.

"The founders of the Clans. Thunder, River, Shadow and Wind," the tabby explained. "They had at first used it to control their warriors, but when they saw it wasn't needed, they sent the Shadow back to darkness. But the Shadow wouldn't have any of it, and it tried to escape. It was Thunder who found it, hiding in a cave in the shape of a Twoleg. Thunder sought it out and sent it to the Place of No Stars."

Amberkit's eyes widened even more at the very story itself. She had never heard of such a thing, nor had she ever seen this cat before, except the other dream. She wanted to know who the cat was, but before she could ask, the tabby disappeared into a thin trail of mist. Amberkit sighed and looked at the ground. This 'Shadow' sounded exactly like that claw that had tried to kill her.

She blinked, and suddenly found herself back in her own dreamworld. Then a paw prodded her side. Amberkit groaned and rolled over, when she heard a furious squeal. She jumped to her paws when she realized that she had rolled onto Aspenkit, who had somehow crawled to her nest. Poppyfrost immediately bounded over to grab her kit, and glared at Amberkit in disgust.

"Watch where you're rolling!" the tortoiseshell hissed. Amberkit backed out of the den, feeling slightly embarrassed as to what had happened. She looked at her nest and saw that scraps of moss were everywhere, including on herself.

With a sigh, Amberkit padded out to see that Blazekit was whining about something, yet again. "Can we _please_ have our ceremony now?" he asked Peppermint. Eagleheart was close at her side, and his eyes were gleaming with amusement for the ginger kit. Amberkit bounded forward and nudged him playfully, and her brother looked back at her with furious eyes.

"What?" Amberkit demanded, forcing herself to sound offended. Blazekit was just a mouse-brained. She would show him that her parents loved her as much as they loved him. Maybe they loved her even more.

"Blazekit, you're not six moons old," meowed Eagleheart. His eyes were clouded in thought, and it looked to Amberkit like he was remembering his own days as a kit. She tried to picture him as a kit, and when the picture came, she gasped. She saw that he was with a different queen, unlike the ones in ThunderClan. He was with a light brown tabby she-cat, with bright, heather-blue eyes.

With a single gasp, Amberkit crouched before her father, wondering if she should ask flat out who that cat was. But then that would mean giving out her secret ability, and Amberkit wasn't ready to tell anyone. Not even her brother or sister.

"Ah please?" Blazekit whined. He looked at his father with huge, eager eyes, and the brown-and-white warrior shook his head. Blazekit looked from Eagleheart to Peppermint, and even she shook her head.

"No Blazekit, can't you be patient like Goldenkit and Amberkit?" their mother sighed.

Amberkit saw her sister, sitting near the nursery entrance. Her long tail was curled around her paws, and she was watching through curious green eyes. Rolling her own eyes, Amberkit joined her sister and sat close to her side.

"Is something bothering you?" Goldenkit suddenly asked. Amberkit glanced at her sister, surprised by her question. Than she saw that she had practically torn up the ground with her paws, and she ducked her head in shame. "Something is!" her sister squeaked, and her green eyes widened in shock. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" Amberkit snapped. She looked away, ignoring Goldenkit's small intake of breath. Her sister would just have to deal with the silence, because Peppermint was coming towards them with Blazekit dangling from her jaws.

"You're more trouble then you're worth," the brown-and-black she-cat muttered. Then her eyes sparkled lovingly, and she rasped her tongue over Amberkit's ears after she set Blazekit down. Amberkit welcomed the attention, and suddenly began to wonder once again who that pretty cat was that she had seen in her vision.

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**Woot, yet another long chapter! Hopefully this one's ending is even better. Please enjoy, and review!**


	7. Chapter 5

**Wow, I update fast! Anyways, thanks Moonstreak1 and flareon200 for reviewing. I finally have the plot written for this and the outline, so I know how this will turn out. I've also already got the plot written out for Clouded Stars so...you know what might happen there!**

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~Chapter 5~

Blazekit narrowed his eyes as he watched four patrols return in one day. The life of a kit was so boring! He wished for once that he could become an apprentice, but no! He had to wait like his sisters. He grinned as he looked at Amberkit. She was busy talking to Dovepaw about something. The way the gray tabby's eyes sparked, Blazekit guessed that Dovepaw was describing what had happened when Hazepelt returned from the patrol.

The pale gray tom had come rushing in, and had shouted that ShadowClan scent was everywhere. Cinderstar sent out two patrols; a battle patrol and a scent-mark patrol, just in case it was an ambush. Luckily it had only been an apprentice who'd crossed the border. Blazekit shut his eyes as he tried to remember the name. _Sappaw._ That was the name that he remembered.

Peppermint had told him everything about the Journey. She described how Whitewater gave birth to two kits: Flowerkit and Sapkit. Eventually they became apprentices, about four moons ago. But apparently, Sappaw was about as dangerous as Brokenstar, one of the tyrants who tried to rule the old forest. Hazepelt looked dumbfounded when the patrol returned, saying it had only been a mouse-brained apprentice trying to steal prey.

"And I learned a new fighting move!" Dovepaw chimed. Blazekit's ears pricked with interest as he watched her crouch down in front of Amberkit. "Thornclaw's been teaching me this since I've started, but I finally got it." She suddenly kicked her back legs out and exploded onto Amberkit, who yelped in surprise. Then she placed a single sheathed paw on her throat, and Amberkit's eyes widened in awe.

"Wow, that was great!" Amberkit purred when the gray tabby released her. She glanced over her shoulder and smirked at Blazekit, but he just looked angrily away. He noticed the gleam in her gray eyes, and he knew that she would prefect the move as well. "When are you going to be warriors?" she asked when the two sat down.

Blazekit padded over with a sigh, knowing that he couldn't resist listening. Mangofern had only moved out of the den a moon ago. Now that they were six moons old, Blazekit knew it wouldn't be long before he joined Dovepaw, Brownpaw and Stripepaw in the apprentices' den. He saw that Goldenkit was quietly listening to a conversation with Sorreltail and Whitewing. Birchfall was close at his mate's side, and it was only then that Blazekit noticed her belly getting plump. _She's expecting kits again? _he wondered as he narrowed his eyes. It looked like ThunderClan would be getting another Ferncloud.

"Well, you three are going to be apprentices soon," Brownpaw meowed when she approached. Her brown eyes gleamed with excitement. "It shouldn't be too long before we have our assessments."

"Yeah, and then we can badger Birchfall all day!" Dovepaw purred. Brownpaw just rolled her eyes, and the two apprentices broke into a fight. Blazekit watched with disgust as Stripepaw entered the camp, slowly following Squirrelflight.

He never really liked the pale apprentice. There was something about Stripepaw that creeped Blazekit out. His dark blue eyes were always calculating, and he always seemed to know what was going on between the warriors, a little more then Dovepaw and Brownpaw. Stripepaw's eyes were narrowed as he listened in on their conversation.

"Well don't let him hear that," Whitewing's mew came. All cats looked up to see the white she-cat padding towards them. Her green eyes gleamed with amusement as her kits bundled into her. She nearly fell to the ground in mock defeat as they pummeled her with their soft paws. "Come on, you're acting like kits," she purred and rolled them off.

The two older apprentices looked smug as they stopped pouncing on their mother. Blazekit followed Amberkit as she padded towards the medicine cat's den. He wasn't entirely sure what compelled his sister to go there, but he just shrugged the thought off and went on. Without warning, paws outstretched on his shoulders. The ginger tom whirled around, only to face Rainshower.

The medicine cat glared at him with blazing yellow eyes, and Blazekit suddenly crouched before him. He had never seen Rainshower look so angry before, and Blazekit felt a strange fear cloud over him. Suddenly Amberkit poked her head out, and her gray eyes were clouded with confusion.

"What's going on?" a strong voice demanded. Blazekit's eyes widened in dismay when he saw Cinderstar coming towards them. He then realized that he and Amberkit must have done something that troubled the medicine cat deeply, and they were more in dangerous trouble.


	8. Chapter 6

**Sorry for the late update! I've been really busy with school work and all of that. Anyways, I just found out that I'm failing math so...yeah. Lets face it, I suck at math and I want to destroy the greek person who invented it. Oh well, on to the story. Oh, and thanks Moonstreak1 for reviewing!**

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~Chapter 6~

Leaves brushed against Goldenkit's nose, making her wrinkle it in confusion. She opened her green eyes and found herself in the nursery. But her nest was a bed of leaves, and one of them was dried up and crisp. She wondered what was happening when she heard Blazekit's excited mew. Her brother had snuck outside of the nursery when Peppermint slipped out to speak with Cinderstar, with Eagleheart close at her side.

Now, as Goldenkit tried to comprehend what was going on, she realized that something big must be happening. She bounded out of the den to see that her brother was looking at her with eager eyes. Amberkit also had the same excited look, though her sister had a more unusually intelligent look to her.

"What's happening?" Goldenkit asked, trying not to show her excitement as the waves hit her.

"We're going to be apprentices today!" Blazekit mewed in an awe-filled voice. Goldenkit tilted her head to the side when Peppermint approached. Eagleheart was close at her side, and his eyes gleamed with pride as he looked at his kits.

"That's right," meowed their mother. "It won't be long until you're warriors." There was almost a sad look in her eyes as she spoke, and Goldenkit felt something like grief come off of her mother.

"When?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"At sunhigh," Eagleheart replied. He glanced over his shoulder. Cinderstar was watching from the entrance of her den, and there was a look of amusement in them. Goldenkit found herself purring, and she knew that it wouldn't be long before they left the nursery.

But then she glanced back towards where Poppyfrost laid with her kits. She had gotten close to Aspenkit and Midnightkit, even though it had only been a moon since they'd been born. For some reason, she would miss their soft mews and squeaks, and Poppyfrost's purrs as they climbed over her in search of more milk. Briarleaf was also laying down in the nursery, though her belly wasn't as big as Poppyfrost's had been.

Goldenkit sighed suddenly. She wondered if this was how all about-to-be apprentices felt. Both excited and nervous at the same time. She glanced at the sky, and saw that the sun had risen considerably high. But it was not sunhigh yet, and the patrol had yet to return. It would be some time before their ceremony, and already Goldenkit had the jitters. Her brother and sister were chatting excitedly outside the nursery, while Peppermint looked relieved to be moving back to the warriors' den.

She paced around warily as she waited for the patrol to return. It was times like these where she wished that time didn't matter, and that she was still a playfull, three moon old kit.

Suddenly the holly bush tunnel entrance shivered, and four cats emerged from it. Goldenkit's ears pricked with excitement when she realized that it was the sunhigh patrol. Squirrelflight was in the lead, with Stripepaw close behind her. Mousewhisker and Rosefoot were only a few mouse-lengths away. Squirrelflight flicked her tail to her apprentice and padded over to where Cinderstar was seated; next to the SmoothRock.

The ThunderClan leader closed her eyes and heaved a sigh that even Goldenkit could hear. Then she noticed that Stripepaw was glaring after Squirrelflight. The look in his dark blue eyes chilled Goldenkit to the bones.

_I bet he would kill her if he had the chance, _Goldenkit thought with a sad shake of her head.

"Let all cats old enough gather around the SmoothRock for a Clan meeting!" Cinderstar's yowl carried across the clearing, and Amberkit and Blazekit immediately bounded towards their great grandmother. Goldenkit followed more slowly. She could feel her mother's glowing eyes as she padded past her, and she glanced back with a piercing green gaze.

Cinderstar looked down at them and Goldenkit stared back into her eyes. "By naming apprentices we show that our Clan will remain strong. Come forward you three." She flicked her tail in a motion that made all three kits stumble forward. "Amberkit, until you have received your warrior name, you shall be known as Amberpaw. Icestorm, you are ready for an apprentice. You have had a fine mentor in Whitewing, and I expect you to pass on all you have learned to Amberpaw."

Goldenkit purred softly at the sight when Amberpaw touched noses with the white she-cat. Icestorm was a good choice. She was curious, and always eager to learn something new. That made her a perfect choice for Amberpaw.

"Blazekit, until you have received your warrior name, you will be known as Blazepaw. Foxwhisker, you are also ready for an apprentice. Squirrelflight has trained you well, and I expect you to pass on all you have learned to Blazepaw."

Blazepaw jumped forward and nearly knocked the reddish-tabby over. Foxwhisker's eyes glowed with strong emotion as he rubbed noses with Goldenkit's brother, and she wondered why that was. She had heard somewhere that Foxwhisker had been Runningmoon's mentor.

Runningmoon had been one of the many cats who died during the lake's eruption. He had died leading a bunch of Twolegs away from the Clans, and for that very reason, he was considered a hero to ThunderClan.

"Goldenkit, until you have received your warrior name, you will be known as Goldenpaw. Bumblestripe, you are ready for an apprentice. You had a fine mentor in Brambleclaw, and I expect you to pass on all you have learned to Goldenpaw."

Goldenpaw's eyes opened wide as she touched noses with her mentor. Bumblestripe let out a purr of amusement at the sight and led Goldenpaw towards the group of gathered warriors and apprentices.

Dovepaw and Brownpaw greeted her cheerfully, while Stripepaw just ignored them and stared off into space. Goldenpaw sighed, wondering if there was anything she could do to help the pale gray tom. It was bad enough that the Clan resented having him around, but he didn't have to prove himself to that reputation.

"We're apprentices!" Blazepaw mewed when the meeting was over. His green eyes were glowing with a new look of determination that set Goldenpaw off.

"Yeah, so that means you'll have to keep up!" Amberpaw replied. She was back to her normal self, and batted Blazepaw with a golden paw.

"Would you like to explore the forest?" Bumblestripe's question made Goldenpaw look up in surprise. She had not thought of the expectations of an apprentice. Now that she was one, her heart began to pound.

"Yes!" she replied.

With that, Bumblestripe led his eager apprentice into the forest, for the first time.

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**So...what did you think? Okay, so here's the deal. I'm not going to update until I have at least twenty or fifteen reviews. That's not asking much, considering I already have over 100 hits. Now please review?**


	9. Chapter 7

**Thanks Moonstreak1 and flareon200 for reviewing! I'll give you my virtual cookie now. *Looks in cookie box* Amberpaw, did you eat them?  
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~Chapter 7~

Icestorm crouched in front of a stream that tumbled near the border to WindClan. Amberpaw watched curiously, as she showed her a technique that she had learned back when the Clans had gone on the Journey.

Amberpaw had been shown the territory for the most part. Icestorm took her to the ShadowClan border, which was a bunch of twisted trees that the Clan preferred to call the Gnarled Forest. She hadn't seen any sign of ShadowClan, but Amberpaw knew from their strong scent that they were around. And then Icecloud took her to the RiverClan border, which was just a stretch of grassland and bushes. The stream here was the border to WindClan, and Amberpaw could already smell the rich tang of meadow grass.

She saw a flash of silver speed by, and knew for a fact that it was a fish. Dovepaw had returned one day during when of her training practices with a fish in her jaws, but Brightheart complained about it. The white she-cat claimed that it was too bony, though Amberpaw always wanted to try one.

Suddenly a white paw stabbed at the water. Amberpaw barely had time to see a tiny fish flop onto the bank beside the stream. It wildly flopped around, and Amberpaw guessed that it was trying to get back into the water.

Icecloud didn't let it get too far. She bent down and killed it with one swift bite, and the fish fell limp.

"That's how you catch a fish," Icecloud meowed when she spat it onto the ground.

Amberpaw sniffed it curiously. It's smell and texture reminded her of the cats from RiverClan. Willowshine had come into camp at one time to ask for herbs, which Rainshower obliged to. Her apprentice, Locustpaw, had been friendly and open, despite the fact that she was almost ready to become a full medicine cat. Locustpaw had soft black-and-white fur, sort of like herself. Amberpaw wondered if all RiverClan cats were like that.

They had been ThunderClan's allies for some time now. It wouldn't be surprising if they were, but something held Amberpaw back. She glanced at Icestorm and saw that the white she-cat's eyes were fixed on the stream.

"There are hot springs around here that the elders like to go to," she explained when Amberpaw was silent. "Lets go there, we can work off this wariness in our bones."

She led Amberpaw towards a smaller part of the forest. Pine trees had taken over, but a strange sense over took Amberpaw. Steam was rising from the ground, and the air suddenly grew tense and thick with waves of heat.

Amberpaw had heard stories of how the hot springs were discovered. Apparently, Owlwhisker had been stumbling around, lost from camp. His sigh had been blinded by something, but he kept moving. Then he felt heat rise from his pelt, and suddenly, his paws touched a boiling hot water that made him screech in agony. But the water also seemed to cool down his nerves, and so, they hot springs were a welcomed addition to the territory.

She placed a paw gingerly into the water, and a wave of satisfaction welled in her when she felt it's warmth surge through her. She let out a long sigh, reveling in the feeling. Icestorm had almost completely submerged herself; only her head was visible above the water.

_She looks like a RiverClan cat! _Amberpaw thought with a purr of amusement. She glanced around, trying to look through the steam. It had begun to thicken, though Amberpaw could only just make the faint outlines of her brother, pacing happily beside Foxwhisker, whose whiskers were twitching with amusement. She looked back into the water, and gasped at what she saw.

Goldenpaw was warily watching her mentor, Bumblestripe. He had taken her to the Gnarled Forest, and they were now both stalking a shrew. Amberpaw's sister's eyes were wide and bright with concentration, as she watched. Bumblestripe had perfected the hunters' crouch, and now, he waited like a patient owl. Suddenly, his back legs exploded and...

"What are you looking at?" Icecloud's mew brought Amberpaw back to reality. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that Icecloud had emerged from the springs. Her pelt was soaking wet now, dripping onto the ground.

"I...I was just wondering how these hot springs came to be," she lied. There was no way she could tell Icecloud about the vision she had had. It was too strange, and Amberpaw doubted that Icecloud would know anything about it.

Icecloud shrugged it off. "Come on, lets take you on your first hunt," she meowed.

She then led Amberpaw towards a small grove of bushes. The ground was thick with grass and undergrowth, though it felt springy beneath Amberpaw's pads. She enjoyed the cool grass. It felt strangely welcoming compared to the heat from the hot springs.

A squirrel climbed into one of the bushes. Amberpaw noticed that it had its back against them, and it was nibbling on an acorn. _Perfect, _she thought. The squirrel would be too easily distracted to notice their swift approach.

She pictured the crouch that Bumblestripe had performed in her vision, and dropped into almost the same position. Amberpaw looked up when Icecloud stiffened with surprise. "How did you know how to do that?" she gasped quietly.

"I, I erm...Eagleheart taught it to me," Amberpaw stammered. She wasn't quite sure how to tell Icecloud. The white she-cat looked slightly confused, but she nodded just the same.

Amberpaw's ears swiveled towards the squirrel. It had stopped nibbling and was now flicking its tail in hurried dashes. It caught their scent, but it wasn't sure how far they were, or if there was enough time to continue foraging. It seemed to make up its mind, and went back to digging for its lard that it kept hidden.

Without thinking, Amberpaw trusted her instincts enough to let her catch this squirrel. She lunged forward with her claws unsheathed, and caught the squirrel by surprise. It let out a harsh squeal, and birds exploded from the trees, letting out cries of alarm. Amberpaw's teeth clamped around the squirrel's neck, and it suddenly stopped struggling.

"Well done!" Icecloud purred. Her eyes gleamed proudly as Amberpaw bounced forward with the squirrel dragging on the ground. She hadn't expected it to be so heavy, and now its fur kept her from talking. "I don't think we'll catch anything else, all of the prey will have run from that alarm call. Come on." With that, they returned back to camp. Amberpaw held her prey proudly, and felt a wave of satisfaction creep through her.

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**Isn't Amberpaw just the cutest? Well, if you look back at Stars of Glory, you'll see that Amberpaw is getting to be just like Hollystar...Hmm, maybe I should make this ten times better XD Oh well. Now review everyone, review!**


	10. Chapter 8

**Thanks flareon200 and Moonstreak1 for reviewing. Sorry it took so long to update this, I'm sort of getting responsible with school work so I have less time to update. That and the fact that I have another account here and I'm working on a Spyro fic for the first time. Please enjoy!  
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~Chapter 8~

"Wow, you caught that?" Blazepaw's voice was thick was jealousy as he watched Amberpaw return with a squirrel in her jaws. Her gray eyes gleamed with pride as she dropped on the fresh-kill pile.

"Yep," she replied. She glanced sideways, as though Blazepaw didn't matter to her.

Foxwhisker had shown him the vast majority of ThunderClan's territory. Blazepaw's eyes had blazed with excitement when he bounced at his mentor's side, but now, a new look of determination clouded over them.

Part of him desperately wanted to become a warrior, and yet, another part of him knew that he needed to learn everything he could in order to become the greatest warrior in the Clan.

_Like Firestar or Lionblaze, _he thought with a wide grin.

"Hey Blazepaw, how did your training go?" Dovepaw's voice made the ginger tom turn.

She was perched on a small root. Her eyes gleamed with curiosity as she waited for him to tell her what it was like. He padded over to her, suddenly feeling slightly guilty over what he had thought earlier.

"It went well," he purred, thinking of how Foxwhisker had seemed so eager to teach him everything he knew.

Blazepaw narrowed his eyes when Goldenpaw approached. Her pelt shown silky and golden in the sunlight. And her eyes were brighter then Blazepaw remembered, as she padded past Bumblestripe.

"Hi," she mewed as she sat down. Her tail wrapped neatly around her paws as she swept her gaze over the other apprentices.

Dovepaw nodded pleasingly to Goldenpaw, while Blazepaw just huffed with annoyance. He looked away and stared at the holly bushes that protected the camp.

Thorns pricked from their stems, and they looked like they could really hurt a cat if they fell into it or crashed into it. Blazepaw shuddered at the thought of running into them.

Then he glanced back and saw that Poppyfrost had come out of the nursery with her two kits trailing behind her. Aspenkit's eyes were a bright blue, while Midnightkit had green eyes, like her mother.

"Your kits are beautiful," Brightheart purred.

"Thank you," Poppyfrost replied through glittering green eyes.

Blazepaw watched curiously as Aspenkit crouched into a hunter's position. His dark gray fur almost melted into the undergrowth, making him practically invisible. Midnightkit was busy trying to batter her paws at a butterfly, which had flown into camp without noticing the cats.

"I wanna be the mouse," Aspenkit squeaked.

Midnightkit shook her head furiously. "You were the mouse yesterday, and you scared Briarleaf," she mewed in a kit-soft voice.

Blazepaw twitched his whiskers in amusement. He could remember when he and his siblings fought like that. And yet, that wasn't that long ago.

He padded over to the fresh-kill pile and grabbed was about to grab a thrush, when Foxwhisker approached him. "Why don't you clean out the elder's den before you eat?" he suggested with a wave of his tail where Brightheart had gone back.

With a sigh, Blazepaw knew that this was just one of his many duties. He padded over to the elders' den, and began to wrap of the dead moss that had made up Brightheart's nest.

His ginger fur gleamed like fire in the sunlight, as he bounded through the forest to collect fresh moss. Foxwhisker had shown him the best place for it, and he quickly spotted the dark green stuff.

The moss usually grew on rotten logs or moist rocks and trees. It formed better after a good rainstorm, and now, it looked dry and brittle. He swiped a ginger paw across the moss, and clawed it off. It fell to the ground, but he easily shook the water and other branches that had caught onto it off.

Then he rolled it up into a ball, like Foxwhisker had shown, and pressed it against his chin. He remembered Foxwhisker saying something about that this was the best way to carry it, that way he could still breath through his mouth if he needed to.

When he reached camp, Amberpaw was practicing her battle moves. She had dropped into a crouch that was somewhat familiar to him. He had learned the move first, and flicked his tail in frustration.

Amberpaw was stronger then him, true, but he was more intelligent. He was eager to prove himself to the Clan, as he carried his moss into Brightheart's den.

Brightheart was laying down in the sun, keeping herself warm by rolling around on the ground. Blazepaw dropped his moss on the ground and began to uncurl it. He then placed it where he knew Brightheart would sleep, and called her in.

"So you cleaned out the den today eh?" Brightheart mewed through a yawn. She circled around her nest several times before curling up in it, and then looked at Blazepaw happily. "Perfect," she purred.

Blazepaw gave a gusty sigh of relief and left her to nap. Brightheart was fairly easy to please, since she was so gentle. She was concerned about everyone, and even knew a few things about herbs.

Many, many seasons ago, a cat named Cinderpelt had taught Brightheart the knowledge of herbs. Blazepaw had heard many things about Cinderpelt, like how she had protected Sorreltail from getting killed from a badger while she was kitting, and how Cinderpelt had broken her paw when Tigerstar laid a trap that was meant for Bluestar.

He began to wonder at it, how things turned out the way they did. He looked at the sky and saw that the sun was beginning to turn into an orange glow. He yawned and padded back over to the fresh-kill pile.

To his annoyance, the thrush was no longer there. He spotted a scrawny looking shrew, and decided to make due with that.

His mouth watered at the taste, and he hungrily snapped up the rest of the meal. With his belly full, and the day coming to an end, Blazepaw padded into the apprentices' den.

Dovepaw and Brownpaw were already in their nests. Stripepaw had gone out for the dusk patrol with Squirrelflight, leaving the den strangely empty. Blazepaw looked around for a place to sleep, and he noticed that Brownpaw had made nests for him and his siblings. He closed his eyes, and quickly fell asleep.

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**Okay, very soppy ending...I'm sorry about that. It was sort of a filler, but hopefully it got to the point. I will be updating soon tonight, hopefully, so you better review!**


	11. Chapter 9

**So here's the next chapter. Wow, I'm on a role today, I'm updating this story right after I updated it yesterday! Anyways, thanks flareon200 and Moonstreak1 for reviewing. I don't know if you guys have noticed, but all three of Peppermint's kits will have special powers. Amberpaw will of course, be the only one in the prophecy, but since they are kin of Hollystar...you get my drift. Oh, and happy Halloween!**

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~Chapter 10~

Goldenpaw's ears were trained on a sound that came from the WindClan border. In her mind, she pictured a small line of trees, and leaves blowing from them in a gentle breeze. She saw a WindClan patrol nearing the border, with an intent look on their faces. While one cat looked content, another looked serious and questioning.

She gasped slightly when cold water splashed on her fur. Goldenpaw glared venomously at her mentor. Bumblestripe's smug expression faded when he saw the anger in her eyes, and he padded forward.

"Honestly, I didn't think a cat was afraid of water," he muttered with a shake of his head.

The pale ginger she-cat just continued glaring at him. Behind the gentle mask, there was something malicious about Bumblestripe that Goldenpaw just didn't like. _Maybe that's why Stripepaw is the way he is, _she thought as she pondered over the idea.

"I was just thinking," she murmured crossly, not looking back at him.

Bumblestripe looked at her for a moment, and then casually swiped a paw over his muzzle. "Come on, lets get some battle-training done," he meowed.

He rose to his paws and quickly led her towards the training hollow. Goldenpaw's ears twitched with irritation as she spotted Stripepaw and Squirrelflight practicing their moves.

Her anger quickly melted though when she saw how harsh Squirrelflight was towards Bumblestripe's only son.

The dark ginger she-cat was moving so fast that Stripepaw hardly had time to move. Squirrelflight closed in on him and tripped him. Stripepaw yowled in shock as he fell face-first into the ground, sending leaves flying into the air.

"You'll have to be faster then that," Bumblestripe called from the sidelines. "Watch how she's moving, keep an eye on her legs."

_You're not supposed to give tips! _Goldenpaw thought angrily. She unsheathed her claws when she saw that Bumblestripe's eyes were full of pride, rather then anger at Squirrelflight. _It's like he sees right through them!_

She shook her head in disappointment as she watched the scene unfold. Stripepaw's desperate cry as he launched himself at Squirrelflight, and Squirrelflight's quiet growl as the older, experienced warrior knocked him aside. It was almost too much to watch.

"Can we please begin?" she pleaded, suddenly feeling a strange helplessness towards Stripepaw.

He may have been weird and slightly aggressive, but he didn't deserve this. Rosefoot would be furious if she found out what Squirrelflight was doing to her son.

"Alright," Bumblestripe replied bluntly.

The tom led her in, far enough away from Squirrelflight and Stripepaw that they didn't interfere. "I'm going to teach you a simple move, defensive, and yet, powerful," he meowed as he dropped into a crouch.

He kept a firm gaze locked onto a stone nearby, and suddenly leaped at it, pushing the stone further into the ground. Bumblestripe growled and unsheathed his claws, then he looked back at Goldenpaw to make sure she had been paying attention.

"That was a fairly difficult move," he murmured with a shake of his paws as he stood up. "But, if you keep working at it, you'll get better every day."

Goldenpaw nodded, and she concentrated on what she had to do. Her eyes closed, and she instinctively dropped into a crouch. Then she leaped into the air, and landed squarely onto the stone, with her claws sheathed. She opened her eyes again, and gazed at Bumblestripe with a pleased look.

"Good, that was almost perfect," he purred.

Squirrelflight had stopped to watch, and her eyes gleamed with interest, while Stripepaw looked on with disgust at the sight of his father. "Would you mind using that move on Stripepaw?" his mentor asked. "He needs to learn some patience, and this is the best way."

The pale gray apprentice glared at Squirrelflight with smoldering blue eyes. Goldenpaw felt a shiver run through her spine. How could Squirrelflight treat him that way?

"Sure." Bumblestripe stepped beside Squirrelflight, and both cats watched as Goldenpaw dropped into a crouch. Stripepaw did the same, but his position was a bit off.

_He'll hate me if I beat him, _Goldenpaw thought grimly.

She staggered a little bit, giving Stripepaw just enough time to perfect his crouch. He then launched into the air, sailing right past Squirrelflight and landing directly onto Goldenpaw. She winced when she felt his claws dig into her pelt, but only a little.

"Never let me win," he hissed into her ears.

Squirrelflight and Bumblestripe congratulated Stripepaw, and the apprentice grudgingly nodded curtly. Then his mentor led him back to camp, to clean out the elders' den.

"I think we've done enough today," Bumblestripe meowed when they were gone.

Reluctantly, Goldenpaw followed as he padded back towards camp. She pricked her ears forward as she listened for any unusual sounds.

She heard a squirrel nibbling on a seed, high in one of the Gnarled Trees. She heard the squirrel drop the seed and flick its tail several times, as another squirrel tried to steal its food. It chittered many times before suddenly flinging itself at the intruder.

Goldenpaw's whiskers twitched in amusement as she thought of the very thing. She knew that squirrels were a cats' favorite prey in ThunderClan. She had heard that they were very territorial, and would often fight over the best places for food.

A starling screeched nearby, signaling that she and Bumblestripe were coming towards it. She pictured it fluttering its wings and flapping away, high into a tree where they wouldn't be able to catch it.

"The camp is on fire!" Goldenpaw stopped dead when she heard a warrior's screech carry through the forest.

Bumblestripe had not heard it, and was still padding forward as though nothing were happening. "Bumblestripe, we have to hurry!" Goldenpaw yowled, startling the pale gray warrior.

He looked at her in shock, but before he could say anything, Goldenpaw hurried towards camp. She could already picture the flames, crackling and lapping at the trees and grass. She pictured Firespirit and Icestorm, desperately trying to save Poppyfrost's kits. Amberpaw was close at Icecloud's side, as the golden tabby grabbed Midnightkit.

Suddenly, Goldenpaw heard a more horrifying sound. "Cinderstar's losing a life," Rainshower called. "We can't move her!"

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**Sorry to leave you on a cliffie. So, do you think you know what Goldenpaw's power is? I sort of borrowed it from Dovepaw's power, so...don't get too mad at me Erins! Anyways, please review, or the fire will engulf the world! Muahahahaha!**


	12. Chapter 10

**Thanks flareon200 for reviewing! Okay, so I finally decided to let you in on a secret...I'm not giving away any spoilers for Omen of the Stars. I've already read the first six chapters, and they're very interesting. I'm sure you'll love it when it finally comes out! And happy first of November!**

~Chapter 11~

Panic threatened to overwhelm Amberpaw as she watched the tongues of the flames lap at the plants around her. Heat evaporated immediately on the spot, and her whole body began to shake with such a terrible force.

Icestorm and Firespirit were desperately grabbing Aspenkit and Midnightkit, whose eyes were wide with terror at the sound of screeching cats. Rainshower was crouching at Cinderstar's side.

The ThunderClan leader had pushed Brightheart to the side just when a tree was about to fall on her. It hit Cinderstar's side heavily, causing her to black out during the worse time.

"Cinderstar is loosing a life," the medicine cat breathed. He looked at everyone fearfully, and his gaze softened a little. "We can't move her until she wakes up."

Amberpaw's eyes widened in distraught as she tried to think of a way to help her Clan. The fire was spreading quickly, thanks to the heat of greenleaf. The ground beneath them was dry and brittle, creating the perfect kindle for the flames.

She quickly spotted Blazepaw helping Dovepaw as the gray apprentice tried getting out of their den. Dovepaw's paw was stuck between the branches, and she was yowling with fear as the flames drew closer and closer.

Suddenly Cinderstar's eyes flickered open. She let out a faint gasp for breath, and rose steadily to her paws.

"Everyone, get out of camp as soon as possible!" she yowled in a high, commanding tone.

Amberpaw blinked for a moment, and then dashed out of the holly tunnel as quick as lightning. Blazepaw was close at her side, with Aspenkit clamped tightly in his grasp.

Poppyfrost hurried out of the nursery, with Briarleaf close at her side. The dark brown she-cat was cringing, now that her belly was so big, and her eyes were bright with panic.

The rest of the Clan escaped with only minor injuries. Amberpaw sat on the top of the hill Icestorm had shown her earlier, and she felt her tense muscles giving out.

She glanced at the sky and saw that clouds were beginning to gather, blocking out what little sunlight they had left. Her eyes wide and bright with fear, Amberpaw curled up next to Blazepaw.

He stood protectively at her side, like a father, and watched her carefully. Eagleheart and Peppermint were no where to be found; Amberpaw could only prey that they were safe.

"Amberpaw, Blazepaw!" Goldenpaw's cry brought both apprentice's up. Amberpaw looked up in surprise to see that Bumblestripe was close at her side, with his tail fluffed up in terror at the sight of the flames.

"Are you alright?" Amberpaw demanded, sniffing her sister's flank to make sure.

"Yeah, we just saw the flames coming and..." Goldenpaw's voice trailed off. Her eyes were searching intently at the crowd of ThunderClan cats, and Amberpaw knew who she was looking for.

"They're not here," Blazepaw murmured as if he had read her mind.

Goldenpaw's eyes widened in horror. Amberpaw desperately wanted to reassure her as much as she wanted to reassure herself. But...it felt like their world was falling apart.

Amberpaw kept her mouth closed as Cinderstar padded towards them. The gray she-cat's fur was coated with sweat, and matted in a way that made Amberpaw shiver. "There...There is something you might want to see," she mewed quietly.

_Please don't let anything hurt them! _Amberpaw wailed inwardly. She tried her best to hide the fact that her heart was beating furiously with anxiety.

Suddenly, her heart gave out when Cinderstar led them to what she had spoken of. Peppermint was crouched over Eagleheart's body, with eyes that were as wide as the moon. She rose her head and gave out a chilling wail, that made Amberpaw want to hide her face in Blazepaw's fur.

"No!" Goldenpaw and Blazepaw cried.

They bounded forward, leaving Amberpaw alone to face the truth. She stumbled forward a little, and her whiskers began to tremble with anguish.

Her father's flank was still, and his eyes had a misty look to them. Amberpaw realized that the misty gaze was blank, and staring at nothing. His fur was singed, and his throat was missing most of its fur.

She rubbed her face against his pelt, wishing with every ounce of her blood that it had been her instead of Eagleheart. Peppermint was devastated, as well as her siblings.

_Why? Why would StarClan take him? _she wondered bitterly.

"Oh StarClan," Peppermint wailed once more. Amberpaw closed her eyes for a moment, as she pictured her father playing with her as a kit.

He would leap onto them, playfully, and treat them as though they were already apprentices. He was protective of them, and would snap at any warrior who said something wrong about them.

"Why did they take him?" Blazepaw demanded. His green eyes were glittering with rage and sorrow, and Amberpaw felt bitterly sorry for him.

Blazepaw had been unusually close to Eagleheart, and this was like losing part of his life.

"We will sit vigil for him," Cinderstar meowed gently.

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The night air was cool and frosty, considerably different from what it had been like during the day. Amberpaw crouched over Eagleheart's body, pressing her face deep into his neatly groomed pelt. Blazepaw and Goldenpaw were crouched next to her, in the same position.

"May your spirit rest forever in StarClan," Rainshower murmured as he swept his tail across the large warrior's flank.

The rest of the Clan were clustered together, murmuring to one another as they discussed how to proceed with restoring the camp. Amberpaw glared at them coldly, wondering how they could just let life go on like this.

_They don't even care, _she thought with a sad shake of her head.

She raised her chin and looked at the sky, which was now covered in stars and a bright quarter moon. _Are you up there, father? _she wondered.

Suddenly, a breeze shifted through the forest, causing Amberpaw to shiver at the reaction. _I am always with you, my daughter..._

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**Sorry to leave you like that...I know, it's a very sad chapter, but someone was going to die, so I decided to kill off Eagleheart. I was listening to Say my Name and Our Farewell, and those songs are almost guaranteed to make you cry. Well, please review, as always!**


	13. Chapter 11

**Yay, another fast update! Well, thanks flareon200 and Moonstreak1 for reviewing, do you think I could maybe get thirty reviews before updating? Tell everyone about the story, that's one way of getting plenty of readers! Oh, and just to warn you, this chapter is a bit...gruesome.  
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~Chapter 12~

Fury and sorrow swept through Blazepaw all night, enough so that he could hardly sleep. He turned and twisted in his nest, all the while thinking of how terrible the fire had been. But there was nothing more terrible then losing the one he loved the most.

Blazepaw woke with a strange feeling creeping through him. He raised his chin and saw that a dark creature was looming before him. His eyes widened in terror when he saw that blood flowed freely from the creature's veins. It's eyes glowed with hunger, and its skeletal frame shimmered faintly.

"Prey..." the creature snarled. It's jaws opened slightly, revealing a pool of blood.

Fear emanated from the spot. As Blazepaw tried to move, he found that his muscles were glued to the ground. The creature moved forward, shedding more blood as it crept forward. The stench of blood and pain was sickening Blazepaw, and he nearly gagged from it.

"Prey...shadows," hissed the dark creature.

Blazepaw crouched before the creature, as it suddenly lunged. He let out a howl of pain as fire crackled through him. He could feel the creature's blood, swimming through his veins.

Suddenly, he closed his eyes. He gasped when he found nothing but an empty darkness. He heard sounds that made him want to wail like a lost kit again. They were the sounds of dying cats...

"Blazepaw, wake up!" Dovepaw's mew made the ginger tom open his eyes.

His eyes widened in surprise when he found himself in a makeshift nest, between Dovepaw and Stripepaw. When he looked down at his own nest, he saw that it was shredded into peaces from his claws.

"What happened?" Dovepaw asked. "You were moaning and growling in your sleep." Her voice was full of concern, as she looked at him.

Blazepaw thought for a few moments. He could still picture that shadowy creature, and he shuddered. "Nothing," he replied tartly.

Dovepaw's eyes widened in surprise, but Blazepaw said no more. Instead, he slowly rose to his paws, only to find a searing pain lance through his legs. He was about to yowl, when he found that the others were still looking at him.

He lifted a single paw, and gasped at the sight that he saw. A clean cut scarred deep within the tender part of his pad. It was merely a tiny mark, but it stung like a thousand bees.

The ginger tom limped out of the makeshift den. Rain was pelting on the ground, dampening everyone's spirit.

Peppermint was silent brooding near the makeshift warriors' den. After Eagleheart's burial, she had disappeared. She returned several heartbeats later with a thrush in her jaws, and she gave it to her kits.

Branchfoot, Mangofern, and Leapordblaze were leaving for the dawn patrol. Cinderstar and Thornclaw were quietly talking to each other, looking slightly dark and secretive.

Just as Blazepaw was about to find out what was happening, Foxwhisker approached him. "Would you like to join us?" he asked.

Blazepaw nodded in silent agreement, wondering how he would tell his mentor how he hurt his paw.

He winced slightly when the warriors bounded through the forest. How was he going to keep up, when his paw still felt like this? He shook his head and limped after them, hoping no one would notice his awkward movement.

Foxwhisker stopped when they got near the WindClan border. Over the last moon, they had been allies with WindClan, thanks to Woodtail and Heathertail.

Suddenly, their scent got stronger. Blazepaw was the first to notice it; it was the smell of rough grass and open land.

Three cats streaked towards them, cats that Blazepaw didn't recognize. One was a dark gray she-cat with yellow eyes, the other was a silver tabby tom - an apprentice by the size of him - and the last one was a light brown tabby.

"Greetings Foxwhisker," meowed the dark gray she-cat. She dipped her head towards the eldest warrior, and then looked at the rest of the patrol. "What's happened here?" she asked mildly.

Branchfoot was about to respond when Foxwhisker slapped his tail across the younger cat's jaws. "Nothing that concerns WindClan, thank you," he replied.

The two WindClan warriors narrowed their eyes, while the silver tabby apprentice stayed out of it. He was gazing at Blazepaw with a look of curiosity.

"Come on Sagepaw, lets go," the light brown tabby called to her apprentice. Sagepaw glanced back at her but didn't move.

Instead he looked directly at Blazepaw's paw, and a shiver went through the young apprentice's body. Suddenly Sagepaw swung around and joined the two she-cats.

Foxwhisker waited to speak until they were all gone, then he looked back at his own patrol. "That was a bit...odd," he murmured when he looked directly at Blazepaw. "Did you two meet already?"

"No," Blazepaw replied. He looked across the border and saw that the patrol had disappeared altogether. He let out a sigh of relief and glanced at his trembling paw.

It suddenly felt as though Sagepaw had known what happened to him. Did Sagepaw know what that terrible, bloody creature was? Maybe he had seen it too in his dreams.

Blazepaw knew he would have to ask when the Gathering came to be.

"Come on, lets check the ShadowClan border, and then we can head back to camp." Foxwhisker immediately turned and led the patrol towards the darker part of the forest.

The pain was building now, as they trod over fallen pine needles. His paw was close to his belly, as he held it up so the pine needles wouldn't get stuck in the cut.

Foxwhisker stopped short when a yowl sounded from nearby. "Get out of our territory you kittypet!" Blazepaw's ears pricked up as saw a tabby cat streak forward, with a skinny ginger tom right in front of her.

The ginger kittypet was unaware of the ThunderClan patrol, and collided with Mangofern, who growled in return. The kittypet shrank back fearfully, and gazed up at her with large eyes.

"Please don't hurt me!" he wailed.

"Don't let him fool you," growled the tabby she-cat as she paced towards them.

Blazepaw noticed that a scratch resided on her left shoulder, and he guessed that the kittypet had turned on her without warning. Foxwhisker's whiskers twitched with what looked like amusement, much to Blazepaw's surprise.

"Still chasing kittypets, eh Kinkfur?" he meowed.

Kinkfur shot him a glare, while the kittypet just shuddered. Foxwhisker flicked his tail towards the kittypet, signaling for him to rise to his paws. He did so willingly and looked at the ThunderClan patrol in relief.

"He crossed the border," Kinkfur hissed. "That's no excuse to save his pelt."

Foxwhisker and Branchfoot exchanged a look that Blazepaw didn't miss. Mangofern just continued staring at the kittypet. There was a look of confusion that glinted in her green eyes, a look that Blazepaw had never seen before. The kittypet just trembled as he waited for them to say something. Fear etched in its gaze as it looked from warrior to apprentice, and then back at Kinkfur. Blazepaw knew that Foxwhisker wouldn't send him back into battle, so he just relaxed.

"Kinkfur, let him go," Foxwhisker meowed. "He isn't doing any harm, and you'll scar him for life."

Kinkfur rose her tail and shot them one more glare, before turning back towards the deeper part of ShadowClan. The kittypet let out a long sigh and looked back at Foxwhisker with large green eyes.

"Now, why don't you go back?" Branchfoot suggested with a wide grin.

The kittypet trembled slightly and looked at his paws. "But...I'm scared," he whispered.

Foxwhisker let out a sigh of frustration. "Alright, Branchfoot, why don't you and Mangofern escort him back to his nest, or at least up to Twolegplace. Blazepaw, you need rest, so you come with me."

Blazepaw obediently followed his mentor as Mangofern and Branchfoot led the kittypet across the border. He glanced back over his shoulder to see that Mangofern was still staring at the kittypet as they went on. Something secretive was going on with her, and for some reason, Blazepaw felt like he should try to find out what it was.

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**Phew, finally got it done. Anyways, sorry, it took a little longer then I expected to finish this. I'm sorry for those who don't like blood and gore, but this actually came into my head after watching Princess Mononoke.**


	14. Chapter 12

~Chapter 13~

Goldenpaw's eyes narrowed when she saw her brother return. He was limping badly, with his paw clutched close to his belly. She noticed that there was something different about the way he was acting too. He kept close to his mentor's side, allowing Foxwhisker to herd him back to camp without a fuss. Goldenpaw's eyes widened when she tried to figure out what was happening with her brother.

She knew that Amberpaw would guess, simply because her sister seemed to know everything. But when Goldenpaw strained her ears forward to hear what Blazepaw was saying to Foxwhisker, she caught nothing but a strange, dark sounding wind that made the fur along her spine bristle.

"What's wrong?" Amberpaw's voice made the pale ginger she-cat nearly jump out of her fur. Her sister was staring at her through dark gray eyes; a look that Goldenpaw knew all too well.

"You're planning something, aren't you?" she asked with meaning to. Amberpaw would always come up with the most ridiculous plans, often which would involve her siblings. This time, Goldenpaw wanted no part in what ever it was Amberpaw was planning. She was too concerned for Blazepaw to even want to do anything.

"No," Amberpaw mewed defensively. "Why do you always have to assume I'm up to something? In fact, I was wondering what was wrong with Blazepaw too." Amberpaw snorted and scuffed the ground with her paws.

Goldenpaw's eyes widened in shock as she stared at her sister. "What? How did you know?" she demanded.

Amberpaw looked slightly embarrassed when she replied. At that moment, Goldenpaw wondered exactly what was going on in Amberpaw's mind. "I just guessed from the way you were looking at him. And his paw is up like it's hurt." She pointed her tail directly towards mentor and apprentice.

Blazepaw had now entered camp, and was now glaring at the ground as though something bad had happened. Foxwhisker stared after him for a moment before turning towards the warriors' den, where Hazepelt and Mudtalon greeted him. Goldenpaw strained her ears forward to listen to their conversation, and was mildly surprised when Foxwhisker explained that he had to send Mangofern and Branchfoot out to take a kittypet back to its nest. He said that Kinkfur, a ShadowClan warrior, had chased it into ThunderClan territory.

Mudtalon asked why Foxwhisker didn't just chase the kittypet off, but Foxwhisker replied that they were all once kittypets and rogues. He would have chased it off if it posed a threat, but he knew that the kittypet couldn't harm a fly from the way it looked.

"What are you staring at?" Blazepaw murmured when he limped towards them. His green eyes flashed when his two siblings didn't reply. Goldenpaw just shuffled her paws on the ground, while Amberpaw stared directly at him.

Thoughts of how to get him to lift his paw coursed through Goldenpaw. She didn't want to see her brother in this state. He looked wary and tired, like he hadn't slept well. And he seemed nervous too, as though he expected something to jump out at him and kill him.

"I'm getting some prey," Blazepaw muttered without looking back at them. He limped over to the fresh-kill pile and grabbed a plump starling, than he joined Dovepaw and Brownpaw, who had only just woken up.

Amberpaw and Goldenpaw exchanged an astonished look. They said nothing, but Goldenpaw knew exactly what Amberpaw was thinking: They would have to do something about their brother, and soon.

"Goldenpaw, come on!" Bumblestripe's call came from the holly bush entrance. Goldenpaw's ears pricked forward as she padded towards her mentor. _Maybe some training will take my mind off of Blazepaw, _she thought with a shake of her head. But as she neared it, she saw that Thornclaw was quietly talking to him.

"Branchfoot's returned, but Mangofern hasn't yet," meowed the deputy. "Keep an eye out for her, will you?"

Bumblestripe nodded, though it looked as though he didn't really care. Goldenpaw remembered hearing from Peppermint that Mangofern had once been a ShadowClan kit. But Russetstar, the former leader, had gone mad and banished the poor mite. So Mangofern grew up in ThunderClan, and eventually became the warrior she was today.

"I'm going to take you out hunting, okay?" Bumblestripe mewed when they were out in the forest.

Goldenpaw nodded eagerly. Hunting was one of her best qualities, thanks to her extra ordinary hearing. She could detect a mouse much longer before it could detect her, and because of that, Bumblestripe was more proud of her then she realized.

He led her towards a small clearing surrounded by trees. Bumblestripe then told her he would be back before sunhigh to see how she did. Goldenpaw immediately began to hunt, ignoring the fact that time might be against her.

Suddenly, she heard a strange sound coming from nearby. Goldenpaw stopped dead to hear what it was, and then she gasped slightly. It was Mangofern, and the voice of a cat that Goldenpaw couldn't recognize. Their mews were muffled from the bushes they were hiding in, but Goldenpaw could make out a distinctive scent that made the fur along her spine ripple with rage.

_Mangofern's with a tom!_ she guessed. She narrowed her eyes at the exact spot, and saw a skinny ginger kittypet talking quietly to Mangofern. Mangofern purred at something he had said, and flicked her tail in amusement.

"Wow, your life seems so easy compared to that of a warrior," Mangofern sighed. She brushed her tail across the undergrowth, looking at it feebly. "Of course, I don't think I'd be able to leave my Clan behind," she added.

"Why not?" asked the kittypet kindly. "My housefolk would be more then happy to take you in. You're certainly much more beautiful then any other house cat I've ever seen."

"But my loyalty lies to ThunderClan," Mangofern replied gently. "I may be able to go and visit you, but I must remain where my heart feels best."

The kittypet let out a long sigh, and Goldenpaw lashed her tail in frustration. How could Mangofern be doing this to her own Clan? She was breaking the warrior code by even speaking to the kittypet!

"I'll see you tomorrow then, right?" the kittypet mewed.

Mangofern shook her head, looking slightly disappointed. "No," she replied. "I am on the sunhigh patrol tomorrow. But...tomorrow night I can meet you."

"Of course!" the kittypet purred. "Tomorrow night then."

Mangofern slipped out of the bushes and looked shocked to see Goldenpaw standing in the clearing. But her blue eyes only brightened a little as she trotted past the pale ginger apprentice, never once even looking at her.

Goldenpaw glared after her, wondering how Mangofern could be so naive. She shook her head and started to stalk the mouse she had heard earlier, putting her mind only to what Bumblestripe had ordered her to do. Tomorrow night, she would sneak out of camp and listen to what Mangofern was doing with the kittypet. Perhaps she would even be able to stop the young warrior from meeting him. With that, Goldenpaw continued hunting, unaware that the event would only lead to tragedy.

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**Ah forbidden love. Don't you just love it? Yes it gets old, but most cats don't fall in love with kittypets...anyways, review please, or else I might not update...**


	15. Chapter 13

**So I finally updated...thanks flareon200 and Moonstreak1 for reviewing. I really was hoping that more people would actually take the time to review, but...I guess that's not going to happen. Anyways, here's the next chapter.**

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**~Chapter 14~

Something bad was going to happen. Amberpaw could see it in the skies, as the clouds began to gather around the sun. A patrol had been sent out to see if the camp was livable again, but so far, they had not returned yet. Worry crept through Amberpaw, because one of those cats who were chosen had been Goldenpaw.

Her sister was a bit big-headed in some ways, but Goldenpaw was a very sensible cat. Amberpaw just hoped Goldenpaw would make it through okay.

"What's wrong?" The mew came from behind Amberpaw, and it made the golden tabby she-cat jump.

She turned to see that Sorreltail was looking at her through worried eyes. The tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat was a great-grandmother to Amberpaw and her siblings, and it was hard to believe that. Sorreltail had always cared for them in ways that Amberpaw could never forget.

"I'm just...worried about Goldenpaw," she replied truthfully. Amberpaw didn't think she could lie to Sorreltail, especially when she was gazing at her through concerned amber eyes.

Much to her surprise, Sorreltail rested her tail on Amberpaw's shoulder, looking sympathetic. "I know what it's like to lose kin," she murmured softly in a grave voice. "Sootfur and Rainwhisker died during the Great Journey. It's hard to live with that knowledge, but...life goes on, and the Clan must be taken care of."

Amberpaw pressed her muzzle against Sorreltail's flank. The old she-cat had gone through so much by losing Honeyfern, Molepaw and Brackenfur. If any cat knew anything about family loss, it was Sorreltail.

"They're back!" Amberpaw's ears pricked at Mousewhisker's call. The gray-and-white tom was looking across the horizon eagerly, and suddenly, two patrols showed along the faint sunlight. The clouds had begun to break apart, but the fierce wind still tore at their pelts. Amberpaw shivered, suddenly wishing she was back in her own den, safe and warm.

Her eyes widened in delight when she saw Goldenpaw bounding forward with her tail straight up. Her sisters' green eyes were bright with excitement, while Blazepaw, who had also gone on the patrol, limped after her in an odd gait. Amberpaw tilted her head when she felt a strange sensation burn at the tip of her forehead. Blazepaw's eyes were narrowed as he followed Goldenpaw, a little slowly at first, but then he eventually matched her own trotting gait.

"What is it like?" Cinderstar asked when Rosefoot, who had led the patrol, joined her first.

"It was...okay," Rosefoot replied. She looked slightly confused, as though something had just happened that she was unaware of. Amberpaw tilted her head to the side when she saw a stranger amongst them. She heard an intake of breath come from Thornclaw, who was standing close to Cinderstar's side. His eyes were wide with shock as he stared at the cat sitting in the center of the second patrol.

The cat had long, elegant, golden tabby fur, and the brightest amber eyes. He had a look of intelligence in him that sent a shiver through Amberpaw. Something about this tom made her feel like a lessor cat; someone who was little more then a kittypet. He had broad shoulders, and powerful, rippling muscles beneath his thick pelt. He looked like the type of cat who would kill if needed be.

"Solar," Cinderstar meowed. Her voice was thick with awe, and Amberpaw glanced at her in confusion. "It is good to see you, but why have you come back?"

The golden tabby inclined his head towards Amberpaw, Blazepaw and Goldenpaw. Amberpaw flinched from the hard stare he gave her, but he remained calm and fluent as he looked at Cinderstar. "I have come because I bring news from the Tribe," he explained. "Stormfur and Brook are coming, with a new kit."

Embertail's eyes widened with shock at the news. Amberpaw remembered hearing from Peppermint that Embertail was Stormfur's daughter. Stormfur had helped the Clan so much over the last two generations; it was hard to believe he was even still alive.

"Stormfur is coming?" meowed the light tortoiseshell she-cat. "I can't believe it! What would bring them to do this?"

"Something happened in the Tribe to drive them back to the Clans," Solar replied. His golden eyes were darkened with what Amberpaw thought of as sorrow. "They will explain it when they get here, but their initial home is in RiverClan, and that is where they plan on living."

Amberpaw remembered hearing that the last time they returned to RiverClan, they were driven out by Hawkfrost, an evil cat who had been just as bad as Tigerstar. Because of him, Stormfur and Brook were welcomed into ThunderClan. She guessed that they felt more at home near the river then they did in the forest, surrounded by trees.

Embertail's tail sagged in disappointment, but then it straightened up in excitement. "Wow, it's been moons since I've seen father," she squealed.

"What was it like in the Tribe?" Dovepaw asked as she and her sister joined in. The two she-cats looked as excited as Embertail at the prospect of a stranger coming into the Clan.

Embertail went into a full description, saying that they had only been kits when she joined the Clan. She described the tall, jagged mountains, and their endless peeks. She described the soaring eagles and falcons, and how to avoid them if they'd ever came near. She also told them about a she-cat known as Storm Of Burning Pride, her leader. Apparently Storm had been a beloved leader, like Stoneteller.

Amberpaw surprised herself by wanting to learn more about the Tribe. _Maybe Embertail will tell me more, _she thought as the light tortoiseshell began to describe what it was like in the mountains. Amberpaw wondered if Embertail would even remember everything about the Tribe, or if she tried to block it out.

With a sigh, Amberpaw joined her littermates as Blazepaw and Goldenpaw told her what the camp was like.

"The leaves are beginning to grow back," Goldenpaw mewed as she sat down with her tail across her paws.

"But the prey isn't," meowed Blazepaw. He glanced at his sisters warily, as though he was keeping a secret. Immediately Amberpaw looked down at his paw, the one he had been favoring. But Blazepaw wasn't looking at her anymore. "I don't know what we're going to do if this keeps up," he muttered.

Anxiety began to creep through every warrior. What _would _the Clan do if there was no prey left? Amberpaw didn't know, but one thing she did know, was that they would have to find an alternative soon, or else they would all starve to death.

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**So what did you think? I'm actually glad that I finally updated, it only took me like, what? Two or Three weeks? Oh well, review!**


	16. Chapter 14

**So thanks Moonstreak1 and xXPantheraXx for reviewing! Anyways, here's the next chapter, and oh, it's in Blazepaw's POV!**

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~Chapter 15~

Blazepaw mumbled to himself as he felt another stab of pain shoot through his pad. He opened his eyes and saw that it was swollen again, but worse this time. With a sigh, Blazepaw rolled off of his makeshift nest and limped out of the den.

_Maybe I can cool it off by dabbing it in the stream, _he thought. He winced a little when he touched the stream. It's cool waters refreshed him a little, despite the fact that it was below freezing. A shiver went through Blazepaw as he drew his paw out of the stream. He lifted it to get a good look at the deep cut. It looked grouse, with ooze coming out of it. _I can't even lick it, _he murmured to himself. _I'm afraid of what might happen to me if I do._

He limped back to the apprentice's den and saw that Dovepaw was awake. Her fluffy gray tabby fur was thicker then usual, what with the cool breeze that shifted through the trees. She was gazing across the clearing, which eventually fell into WindClan territory. Her eyes were dark with mystery and wonder, and Blazepaw tilted his head to the side.

"What are you looking at?" he asked in a whisper.

Dovepaw looked back at him, with eyes that were glowing like stars. Blazepaw backed up a little, suddenly feeling uncertain about her. "I...I was trying to ask StarClan for guidance," she murmured quietly.

Blazepaw's eyes widened in shock and disbelief as he watched her. He had heard that some cats, such as Firestar, and Bluestar, shared tongues with cats who were not leaders or medicine cats. He remembered Brightheart saying that Hollystar received dreams from StarClan, and even Runningmoon spoke with Moonpaw, his sister. All of those cats had been part of some sort of prophecy, and for some reason, Blazepaw felt a twinge of jealousy.

"I'm worried about what is going to happen now that Solar is here," Dovepaw mewed as she looked at Blazepaw. "He reminds me of Sol." When Blazepaw tilted his head in confusion, she explained. "Sol was a cat who came to the lake before I was born. Whitewing told me all about him, about the way he tried to take over ShadowClan, and the way Lionblaze was able to kill him."

Dovepaw closed her eyes and sighed. "But now it seems like another Sol has come along," she whispered.

Blazepaw shuddered as he remembered the dark and terrible creature looming before him. The vision lasted for only a moment, but it made his paw sting even more than usual. He winced slightly when Dovepaw looked at him in confusion.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Blazepaw grunted. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to know he was in pain. He hated the idea of any cat thinking he was weak.

"Alright," Dovepaw sniffed. She looked disappointed, but Blazepaw just shrugged it off.

He left her alone to limp into the apprentices' den. Amberpaw and Goldenpaw were close together, keeping each other warm. With a sigh Blazepaw curled up beside them, wincing as more pain lanced through his legs.

Almost as soon as Blazepaw closed his eyes he found himself trapped in another dream. His green eyes were opened wide with horror as he ran from an unknown enemy. The forest whirled around him; trees and branches brushing against his ginger pelt, and his breath came out hard and ragged.

The creature's breath was almost upon him, but just as it's jaws opened wide to snatch him up, a screech of fury rose. The creature skidded to a halt, running into Blazepaw as it did so. He yowled in surprise as his body went flying through the air.

"Leave him alone you big blob!" the cry carried on.

Blazepaw's ears pricked with interest at the sound of a tom's voice. He turned, just in time to see a gray tabby pelt flash in front of him. The cat spat in defiance as the creature bellowed in front of him. Instead of running in fear like he expected to, Blazepaw stood as still as a rock.

Before it could do anything else, the gray tabby swiped one paw across it's face, causing it to screech with fury. It began to back away, with the cat still hissing and spitting at it.

"Are you hurt?" The voice was soft and filled with concern. Blazepaw looked around, his eyes unused to the gloomy light. He blinked for several moments, until his eyes grew adjusted.

A pretty tortoiseshell she-cat was looking at him with bright amber eyes. She had a lovely dappled pelt, and dark blotches across her fur. "My sweet, you've been traumatized enough by that demon," she murmured in a gentle voice.

"What do you mean by 'demon'?" Blazepaw asked in surprise.

"The creature that was chasing you," meowed the gray tabby as he joined them.

Much to Blazepaw's shock, he saw the the tabby's eyes were cloudy and misted over. They were the color of a jay's feather, and it looked as though he couldn't see, even though the tabby was staring straight at Blazepaw.

"It would have killed you had we not come," purred the tortoiseshell with a flick of her tail.

The cats suddenly began to fade before Blazepaw could ask anything else. But he could still hear the tabby's voice, strong within his ears. "Beware, of a cat who does not seem," he murmured.

The dream ended at once, and Blazepaw was back in his own dream. He blinked in shock for a few moments, before realizing what had just happened. Those cats had stars in their fur, and their eyes glowed brighter then any cats' Blazepaw had ever seen.

He knew now that they were from StarClan. But what he didn't know, was just how close he had been to his death.

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**Ah don't you just love these sort of fics? I know I certainly do! I hope you all enjoyed it! Oh, and REVIEW, or the demon may come after you...**


	17. Chapter 15

**DAMN you fanfiction! I was going to write a chapter, but the damn login screen wasn't working right. So now this one will be shorter, and my temper has flared up...grrr....**

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~Chapter 16~

Sounds of the forest surrounded Goldenpaw, as she swiveled her strong hearing ears to listen to them. A badger was far away, helping his mate as she bore his kits. A fox was sniffing in the undergrowth some distance away, while her cubs growled for food. Twolegs were shouting about something, though Goldenpaw couldn't quite figure out what it was. She could hear the dawn patrol as they discussed a possible war between ThunderClan and RiverClan, as the two neighboring Clans became more and more hostile towards each other.

She shuddered at the very thought of a war. Reedstar, the leader of RiverClan, wasn't exactly a hostile cat. But there were those in the Clan who would be more then willing to fight ThunderClan, for their hotsprings.

"And that's how you defend the border," Bumblestripe concluded in a verbal sentence. Goldenpaw blinked in confusion as he looked at her earnestly. "Honestly, were you even listening Goldenpaw?" he demanded in a raised voice.

Now she felt embarrassed with herself for not paying attention. But then she remembered exactly what he had said about defending the border. "Keep your eyes opened, and demand the intruder what they are doing," she quoted from him. "If the intruder attacks, then fight back with tooth and claw."

Bumblestripe looked mildly surprised as she repeated his very statement. "Good," he meowed in a shocked tone. "But next time at least _look _like you're paying attention."

Her mentor twitched his whiskers as he led her back to camp. After two days of listening to what Cinderstar had to say, she finally decided to move back. Though there were still charred parts of the forest, most of it was still livable. After Solar's news about Stormfur and Brook and their kit, the Clan wanted to make sure they were fit and strong. Goldenpaw still felt a twinge of worry at the thought of Solar, the loner who had come by two days ago.

There was simply no way he could have no other reason for coming back. He had disappeared many moons ago, according to Peppermint. After that, the Clans went back to their normal, hostile ways. As a matter of fact, WindClan of all Clans adjusted unusually quickly. ShadowClan on the other hand, were a bit less hostile, and had become more likely friends, which came as quite a shock to Cinderstar.

But what worried Goldenpaw the most, was the fact that most of the Clan seemed happy with Solar's return. What would they do when he left? What if he never left? The thought sent a shiver down her spine, and she shook her head to get rid of it. Solar could never stay near the Clans for too long. Something about him just made her fur crawl, and there was no way that it was a coincidence.

"Have you seen Blazepaw?" Goldenpaw turned to see Dovepaw looking at her through worried blue eyes. "He was supposed to go on the sunhigh patrol with me and Thornclaw."

Goldenpaw blinked in surprise. Blazepaw was usually so eager to join patrols, especially now that his paw seemed to have a miraculous recovery. "I'm sorry, I haven't seen him," she replied with a grim shake of her head. Dovepaw sighed and trotted off to join Thornclaw and Foxwhisker, who were waiting impatiently at the entrance.

_I may not be able to see him, _Goldenpaw thought with an invisible grin, _but I can _hear _him._ With that, she closed her eyes and began to concentrate. Instantly sounds and images flooded through her mind. She detected a WindClan patrol coming towards the border, consisting of Hawkclaw, Swallowflight and Willowclaw. They were all agitated about something, though only StarClan knew why. Then came a familiar sound. Her eyes widened inwardly when she saw an image of Blazepaw, limping through the forest as though something was chasing him. She could feel the waves of fear rolling off of him, until finally, she saw what was chasing him.

With a gasp, Goldenpaw looked at Foxwhisker and the rest of the patrol, who were looking at her in surprise. "Blazepaw's in trouble!" she cried.

Her breath came out hard and ragged as she tried to describe exactly what was chasing Blazepaw. "Are you sure Goldenpaw?" Foxwhisker demanded. Goldenpaw felt a ting of frustration at the tone of his voice, and she nodded angrily. "Very well, you better lead the way." He waved his tail for her to take the lead, and she did.

She ran as fast as her smaller legs could take her. _I _have _to hurry! _she thought as she panted. Blazepaw meant the world to her, and Amberpaw would be devastated if he died. The trees whirled past as she moved as quick as the wind, until finally she spotted a flash of russet and ginger fur. With eyes as wide as moons, Blazepaw rushed past the patrol, only to lead a fox right into them.

Foxwhisker yowled in surprise, while Thornclaw crouched into a defensive position in front of Dovepaw. "What were you doing in the forest?" Foxwhisker hissed at Blazepaw.

Before Blazepaw could even reply, the fox snapped its jaws in front of them. Goldenpaw realized it was the same female who had been searching for prey earlier, when Bumblestripe was giving her his lecture. If she didn't act quickly, the fox would take the patrol as her prey instead.

Thornclaw spat in defiance and swiped a claw across the foxes muzzle, splitting the flesh as he did so. The fox snarled in pain as blood seeped onto the ground. Goldenpaw jumped back as it tried her for a snack, but she was just fast enough. Looking back at the rest of the patrol, Goldenpaw realized that there was no choice but to follow in on her plan. She couldn't let this fox die, not when it had cubs to feed.

"Everyone," she called, "Stay back. I'm going to lead it away." Everyone looked shocked at what she said.

"No," Foxwhisker spat. "I've already lost one apprentice before, I will not lose another."

Instantly Goldenpaw was reminded of Runningmoon, the cat who had warned the Clans of the lakes' destruction. She remembered her mother saying that he had only been brave because his sister, Moonpaw, was watching out for him. Right now, she would need Blazepaw to be brave for her.

"I'm going to do it," she growled back. "If you all want to die, then that's fine by me, but I'm leading the fox away back to her cubs."

Foxwhisker blinked in surprise, as did the rest of the patrol. Goldenpaw turned a took a deep breath. The fox was waiting for them to make a move, either that or she was waiting for them to get a good enough strike. With one last look behind her, Goldenpaw sprung forward.

The fox let out a hiss and bounded after her. Goldenpaw's tail disappeared in the thick undergrowth, and the patrol couldn't even see the fox.

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**So...do you think Goldenpaw's dead? Well do you? By the way, there's a question below.**

**What should Goldenpaw's Warrior Name be?**

**A) Goldenshine**

**B) Goldenleaf**

**C) Goldenpool**

**Thanks for reading, and review!  
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	18. Chapter 16

**So here's the next chapter; seventeen already, wow. Anyways, I just joined this awesome anime club at college and already I'm addicted to it. I just received a few ideas as to what to do with this, so hopefully it will end up getting more reviews.**

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~Chapter 17~

Panic shot through Amberpaw when she watched the border patrol return without Goldenpaw. She had been apart of the patrol, stating earlier that she wanted to go out. But with her gone, Amberpaw was certain something wrong had happened to her sister.

She bounded forward to meet Bumblestripe, who looked wary and distressed. "What happened?" she demanded.

The pale gray tom looked shocked by her approach, but he just shook his head. "A fox...it was on our territory," he stammered. "Goldenpaw...she's gone off to lead it away."

"What?" Amberpaw screeched. Her eyes were wild with fear for her sister. How could Goldenpaw do this to her?

Bumblestripe didn't look back as he padded over to Rosefoot's side. The dark cream she-cat purred and licked his cheek fur affectionately, as though nothing happened.

Amberpaw dug her claws into the ground, knowing she would have to find Goldenpaw soon.

She looked around wildly and saw Blazepaw limping after Foxwhisker. His leg didn't look as bad as it had before, though Amberpaw saw that there were now new wounds on his pelt.

His green eyes were wide and nervous as he came to her side. "Do you know about this?" she demanded as he settled down.

"Y-yes," he replied warily. "She insisted on leading it away, though StarClan knows why."

He looked at the ground with a sad gaze, and Amberpaw nuzzled him in the shoulder. "We have to help her," she murmured. "Goldenpaw is our sister. She would do the same for us."

Blazepaw nodded at once. A look of determination crossed his gaze, and he rose to his paws once more. Though his leg was still held closely to his belly, he could easily walk through the forest. Amberpaw had seen him work ten times faster then that even.

He led her towards the clearing where the fox had attacked him. Amberpaw sniffed the ground, wrinkling her nose when the stench of fox filled her nostrils. She quickly spotted a mouse scurrying towards the base of a tree trunk, and stalked towards it.

Ignoring Blazepaw's confusion, Amberpaw began to cautiously flick her tail on a pile of leaves. The mouse looked up in surprise, only to find the two cats standing before it.

"No!" it squeaked loudly. "Don't eat me!"

"Trust me, we won't," Amberpaw replied in a gentle tone, "as long as you give us information."

The mouse's eyes glittered with curiosity, as did Blazepaw's. "What kind of information?" it asked as it scratched an ear with its hind leg.

"Have you seen a cat? One with pale ginger fur and who looks like him?" She pointed her tail towards a shocked Blazepaw, who remained silent as she spoke.

The mouse thought for a few moments over what it had seen that day. "I've seen lots of cats," he replied, though he shuddered as he said it. "I saw a pale ginger cat running not to long ago, with a fox at her heels, if that's what you mean."

Amberpaw's eyes widened with delight. "That's exactly who I'm asking for!" she cried.

"She went towards the stream, that way." The mouse pointed its fuzzy, long tail, towards a stream that was shrouded by trees.

Amberpaw purred and left the mouse, going in the direction it had pointed out. Blazepaw still looked shocked as she led the way, and it took him a few moments to recollect himself.

"You...you can talk to prey?" he asked.

"Yeah," Amberpaw panted as she ran. "I think...I think I can talk to any creature. I've only just discovered it."

Blazepaw just shook his head in utter confusion. Amberpaw skidded to a halt when she heard the bark of a fox. "Prey!" it cried.

Amberpaw saw that Goldenpaw was shaking with fear, but her eyes were filled with determination as she faced the hungry creature. Suddenly Amberpaw realized that Goldenpaw belived she was giving herself up for the Clan.

With a fierce yowl, she launched herself into the air and landed squarely in front of Goldenpaw, placing her body between her sister and the fox. It snarled fiercely as it realized it was outnumbered.

"Leave Goldenpaw alone!" Amberpaw snarled.

The fox lowered its muzzle, and there was a mad, angry glint in its eyes. "Cats eat prey. Cats become prey," it whispered in a claws-on-ground voice.

"No," Amberpaw growled. Her fur stood on end as the fox eyed her suspiciously.

There was no way she would let this creature take her sister, or any other siblings. Too many lives had already been lost over the last moon.

"Listen," Goldenpaw suddenly mewed. Her tail rested gently on Amberpaw's shoulder, and the golden tabby whirled around to face her. "Tell the fox that there's prey beyond our border. She only has to go a little further, and she won't run into any cats."

Amberpaw's eyes widened in shock as she watched her sister nod. She let out a sigh and turned to the fox, repeating Goldenpaw's very words.

Without looking back at them, the fox snorted and began to run. It's legs moved towards the area that Goldenpaw described, and Amberpaw finally let out a sigh of relief.

"How did you know all of that?" Amberpaw asked when they were finally alone. Blazepaw's mouth was still wide open as he tried to grasp the concept that Amberpaw had actually spoken to a mouse and a fox. She knew that he was waiting for an explanation, but that could wait.

Goldenpaw flicked an ear and suddenly looked nervous. She shifted her weight to her other paw and stared at the ground. "I...I could hear the prey," she murmured in reply.

Now it was Amberpaw's turn to gape at her. So she wasn't the only one with strange powers. Amberpaw knew that something special was going on between herself and Goldenpaw, but something else bothered her thoughts. What about Blazepaw? Would he receive any special powers?

She turned to look at him, but his paw was still held protectively under his chest, and his lips were tightly closed. He looked angry. Angry that he hadn't heard this before.

"How did you know I could speak to other animals?" Amberpaw asked when they began to trek back to camp.

Peppermint would begin to grow worried, while Cinderstar would be sure to send out extra patrols and keep an eye out for them. It was better to return early then later with no explanation.

"I just...knew." Goldenpaw shrugged a little as Amberpaw crawled under a fallen log.

"What I don't understand is how you have powers and I don't," Blazepaw growled.

Amberpaw realized that he must be feeling jealous. She could understand why. Blazepaw was their brother. He was also Firestar's kin, along with Hollystar's kin. What right did StarClan have to _not _give him any powers?

_Maybe he does, _she thought as she looked at his swollen paw. Maybe his power was still dormant within him. She shivered as she began to wonder what sort of powers he would have, and if he would use them for the good of the Clan. _I hope he does, _she thought, twitching her whiskers as she did so. Blazepaw could either be a fine asset to the Clan, or he could destroy it with one swipe of his claws.

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**Finally a long chapter. Please forgive me for not updating! I've been really busy yadayada, and it was my birthday today. So as my present to you all, I made an extra long chapter! And this one was inspired by...Beautiful Day by Sanctus Real! Can you believe the stupid computer doesn't know what a sanctus is? lol.**


	19. Chapter 17

**So remember the annoying sweetcakes what ever? Guess what I heard? She is now officially gone! *Does Happy dance* Now we can finally celebrate, after she did moons and moons of plagiarizing!**

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~Chapter 18~

Blazepaw angrily shifted in his nest as he thought of what his sister's talked about on the way back to camp. It was the day after Amberpaw and Goldenpaw sent the fox away, and there had been no sings or reports of it since. Blazepaw knew that they had succeeded, but at what cost? The Clan would eventually find out, and not only that, but they would be furious that his sisters kept their powers a secret for so long.

_Not like it matters to me. _He snorted with mocking amusement as he remembered the way he gaped at Amberpaw when she first spoke to the mouse. At first, he believed that it had all been nothing but a dream. But then he noticed that he could scent things, and his paw was still numb with pain. Only in real life could he feel the pain of his paw, and the realization of it had shocked him to the core. Than Amberpaw spoke to the fox, and Goldenpaw was in on the whole thing. The fox had disappeared towards the area in which Goldenpaw had described, and then Blazepaw found out about everything.

"Have you seen Blazepaw?" He groaned inwardly when he recognized Foxwhisker's voice. His mentor seemed to choose the worst times to take him out into the forest. Right now, his paw was throbbing in pain, and Blazepaw wasn't sure he'd be able to manage any sort of battle training.

"I think he's still in the den," Brownpaw replied. Blazepaw growled in his nest, cursing Brownpaw for giving him away. He struggled to get to rise up, but his paw just wouldn't let him. Today it felt worse then usual.

"Blazepaw, are you up for some battle training?" Foxwhisker asked in a louder voice. Blazepaw turned to find his mentor poking his head through the bramble thicket of the apprentices' den. The reddish-tabby's face was unreadable as he gazed at Blazepaw's unnatural form. "You should see Rainshower before anything else," he murmured when he looked at Blazepaw's paw.

It was now swollen, and pulsing with heat and pain. Blazepaw knew that it was infected; he had been too terrified to even see Rainshower, let alone go anywhere near him. He wasn't sure how Rainshower would react to the deep cut that was now embedded within his tender pad.

"That's an order," Foxwhisker growled when Blazepaw didn't respond.

The ginger tom growled in frustration and slowly rose to his paws. Foxwhisker stepped out of the den to give him space. He limped out of the den to face Brownpaw, who was crouched over a scrawny shrew. While glaring at her, he limped over to the medicine cats' den, with Foxwhisker close behind. He knew Foxwhisker wouldn't rest until the tabby knew that he was safe and well.

"Blazepaw, what are you doing here?" Rainshower's voice was full of surprise as the young apprentice limped forward. His eyes widened when he noticed the limp, and he immediately rushed over to Blazepaw's side.

"I...I hurt my paw," he lied. "It must have caught on a thorn." His fur bristled at the idea of lying, but what choice did he have? How could he possible explain to Rainshower that some demon tried to kill him?

Rainshower held his paw up and Blazepaw winced. The medicine cat let out a shocked gasp. Suddenly Rainshower backed away, with his fur standing on end and his yellow eyes wide with fear. Blazepaw held his paw back and looked at him in surprise, only to see a wild look take over Rainshower's eyes.

"So much blood!" he wailed. Blazepaw backed into the den as the medicine cat began to writhe on the ground like a snake. What was going on?

"Rainshower, what's wrong?" Blazepaw's heart sank when he realized that Cinderstar herself was coming forward, with her eyes wide with concern.

"Keep that, that _thing _away from me!" Rainshower yowled. Foam was residing from his mouth, and Blazepaw shrank back even more to the ground. The medicine cat was going mad! And it was all Foxwhisker's fault for even sending him here!

"Calm down Rainshower," Cinderstar murmured with a stroke of her tail on his flank. She glanced at Blazepaw, her eyes hard. "Grab some thyme; you know what it looks like," she ordered.

Blazepaw nodded and immediately searched for the thyme. He had recognized it from when Rainshower used it on his mother when Eagleheart died. Quickly he grabbed the bitter-tasting plant and charged back to Cinderstar's side. She took it from his jaws and handed it to Rainshower, crooning over him like a worried mother. The medicine cat took the herb, though he only chewed half of what Blazepaw had taken.

When the medicine cat was finally calm, Cinderstar let him rest on his nest. His flank rose and fell evenly now, and Blazepaw let out a small sigh of relief. Cinderstar led him out of the den with a flick of her tail. He followed, though Blazepaw felt resentful. He would be punished for Rainshower's actions. And it was all Foxwhisker's fault.

"Blazepaw, what happened?" Cinderstar asked when they were in the confinements of her den. It was sheltered by four boulders, with a smooth rock on top, which was where Clan meetings were held. Her den itself was cool and unwelcoming, and for once, Blazepaw thought about what it might be like to be a leader. It would be a lonely, cold life if he wasn't careful.

"I, I, I..." He stammered as he tried to think of the right words for what had happened. "Foxwhisker sent me into the medicine cats' den to get my cut healed," he explained. "But when Rainshower looked at the cut, he leaped, and his eyes widened with horror." His explanation came out in a rush of breaths, and Cinderstar's eyes widened with every word. "He...he thinks the cut could be cursed," he finished.

Cinderstar sighed and wrapped her elegant tail across her paws. "Do you know why I was able to help him?" she suddenly asked.

Confusion spread through Blazepaw, and he tried to think. But no answer could come from him. How could a leader know so much about herbs? Cinderstar seemed to react immediately to Rainshower's...problems.

"I was once the medicine cat for ThunderClan, many seasons ago," Cinderstar whispered in his ears. Blazepaw's eyes widened in shock, but she continued before he could say anything else. "My name was Cinderpelt, and my brother, Brackenfur, cared for me so much. My leg shattered when a Monster flew across the Thunderpath, without even once looking back. It was thanks to Tigerstar that I became who I am today."

Cinderstar closed her eyes as some deep memory flowed through her. Blazepaw remained silent the whole time, still wondering why she was telling him all of this.

"Did you know I once loved Firestar, even when I was Cinderheart?" The ThunderClan leader's eyes had opened, and she was now gazing at Blazepaw with loving eyes. Blazepaw shook his head, still silent. "He was kind and caring, and looked after every cat he could. He was so much like me, full of energy and life. When I died, protecting Sorreltail's kits, I never once thought of what would happen to me. But when StarClan gave me the chance to correct Tigerstar's wrong, I jumped at the opportunity. I was reborn as Cinderkit, Sorreltail's kit, the cat I had protected."

Blazepaw's eyes were as wide as moons. He remembered his own mother, Peppermint, telling him stories of Cinderpelt, and how the old medicine cat had been a favorite of the Clan. Cinderpelt had trained and mentored Leafpool well, and after that, Leafpool mentored Jayfeather, her son. Jayfeather mentored Rainshower, and so on.

"You don't know who Rainshower's parents are, do you?" Cinderstar asked. Her head was tilted to the side as Blazepaw shook his head. "Jayfeather had more than one love in his life, even if he didn't want to admit it. I...I had his kits."

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**Grr sorry to leave you on a cliffie. I think this might be my longest chapter yet. *Looks back at all other chapters* Nope, chapter two was my longest. Anyways, you ever hear of reviewing someone's story? If so, you might want to follow that persons advice and review!**


	20. Chapter 18

~Chapter 19~

It was very dark out. Not a creature stirred in the night. Well, maybe the insects and an owl, but it was silent. Too quiet. Goldenpaw's fears were rising when she saw Blazepaw emerge from Cinderstar's den, with a dismal look on his face. She had never seen her brother look so intense before, nor had she seen Cinderstar stare at him so intensely. As he limped past the medicine cat's den, she heard a strangled hiss come from Rainshower. Blazepaw's ears jerked back towards the den, but he did not look over his shoulder, like other cats would have.

"What happened?" Goldenpaw demanded when he was finally at her side. He just stared into her bright green eyes, which were wide and alert. Blazepaw said nothing. He limped into the apprentice's den without a word. Goldenpaw's mouth hung open with shock as she watched.

_Something is bothering him, _Goldenpaw thought as she finally closed her mouth. She looked over to see that Cinderstar had returned to her den as well. Something had gone on between them, and Goldenpaw was determined to find out what that something was; even if it meant breaking the warrior code.

She was about to join her brother when she felt dark blue eyes boring through her skin. Goldenpaw jumped when she saw Stripepaw staring at her. His dark gray stripes were bleached silver in the moonlight, and his eyes were the strangest look. He padded towards her, which sent a shock through her fur.

"Something wrong?" he muttered when she stood as rigid as a rock.

"N-no," she replied sharply. She shook herself and bounded past him, ignoring his sharp intake as her fur brushed his.

Stripepaw just continued to stare at her with the same strange look, as she curled up beside a sleeping Blazepaw. She couldn't understand what this strange feeling was. Goldenpaw knew that it had something to do with the fact that he was a tom, but...she shook it off, and soon, her eyes were closed with deep slumber.

As soon as her mind was sent into the world of dreams, she opened her eyes. Immediately she was aware of a strange sensation that boiled through her veins. Stars burned brightly in the night sky, shedding an eerie silver light over the forest. Even the forest itself wasn't familiar.

Four tall oaks surrounded Goldenpaw, and in the center of the clearing, a large rock stood alone. She realized a cat was laying on top of it, with its eyes closed. It was a ginger tom, who looked very much like Blazepaw. Only he looked older and wiser, and held an heir of strength. His pelt glowed like fire in the pale starlight, and Goldenpaw realized that even his pelt held some stars in it._ I'm in StarClan! _she realized.

The ginger tom suddenly raised his head and looked straight at her with bright green eyes, eyes that looked exactly like Blazepaw's. He jumped off of the rock and strolled towards her, with his tail waving in the air. He weaved through the thick, long grass, until he was barely a mouse-length away.

"It is wonderful to finally meet you," he purred. His eyes were soft, but a look of intelligence burned through them.

"Who are you?" Goldenpaw asked with wonder. She had never seen this cat before, but something clicked in her mind. Stories of the old forest, and of the Lake burned through her as she remembered when Peppermint and Eagleheart once told her.

"My name is Firestar," replied the cat. "I have waited for your arrival for so long." Goldenpaw's eyes widened with shock as soon as he mentioned his name.

_Firestar! _she thought. Excitement pulsed through her as she watched him incline his head towards her own. Now she remembered where she heard his name before. Peppermint had once told her a story of the greatest leader in ThunderClan, aside from Bluestar or Hollystar. Peppermint had explained how Firestar saved the Clans back in the old forest, and how his daughter, Squirrelflight, traveled with Brambleclaw, son of Tigerstar. After that Firestar gave up his own life to save Brambleclaw, and that was how Brambleclaw became Bramblestar.

"But I thought only medicine cats received dreams from StarClan," she murmured. Her paws shuffled the ground nervously as she awaited his answer. What if he told her she would have to give up her training? The last thing Goldenpaw wanted was to become a medicine cat! That was a job for Rainshower!

"Goldenpaw, you don't need to worry," he meowed. Amusement sparkled in his eyes, and Goldenpaw flattened her ears in embarrassment. "I have come with a warning."

Goldenpaw hungrily shifted her ears so she could hear better. A prophecy was important, and it could involve herself and Amberpaw. Guilt swept through her as she thought of Blazepaw, but she immediately pushed it away. She had to listen in order to get the whole prophecy.

Firestar spoke in a smooth, low voice, almost sounding as though more then one cat was speaking. "_Shadows and darkness conspire, only through burning fire, will the Gates be closed."_

At once a gasp escaped from Goldenpaw's jaws. A blinding light flashed before her, as stars began to explode everywhere. Goldenpaw yowled in surprise as blood spilled everywhere, followed by wails of sorrow. Screams quickly followed - screams from Twolegs and kittypets. Goldenpaw tried to shut her eyes, but something kept them open. Suddenly, a dark shape appeared in front of her. The cat had a kinked tail, that almost looked broken. Its eyes gleamed hungrily as a kittypet coward before it, until the cat lashed at its throat with its claws.

A wild screech came from Goldenpaw as she watched the kittypet fall to the ground. Almost at once the vision faded, and Goldenpaw was back in her nest in the apprentice's den, gasping for breath. She saw that her nest was scattered everywhere, be it on Blazepaw or Amberpaw.

"What's wrong?" Amberpaw asked. She had opened an eye to see Goldenpaw's panicked attack. Goldenpaw crouched low to the ground, as she heard the echoing yowls of pain and terror. Something terrible was going to happen. Something that Goldenpaw would have to stop.

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**Okay, it was a short chapter. I'm sorry about that. I deleted most of my stories because, lets face it, no one was really interested in them. But this series I will keep, even if no one will bother to review.**


	21. Chapter 19

**To answer TJ Wilson: I think that's a pretty good idea. But part of the problem is, I've got so many cats and OTS that it would be almost impossible to create a family tree. But I'll give it a try. And I'll take a look at your stories too *winks* Oh, and thanks to those who have reviewed!  
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~Chapter 20~

Pale rays of sunlight gleamed through the forest as Amberpaw followed Icestorm through the forest. Leapordblaze and Rosefoot were with them, whispering quietly to each other. Amberpaw's fur bristled slightly when Leapordblaze shot her questioning glances. Rosefoot was also keeping an eye on her, while Icestorm just continued traveling.

They were the dawn patrol, and Amberpaw's limbs were still stiff from last night. Goldenpaw had woken her up, looking terrified after some nightmare. Though Amberpaw knew something was up, she didn't question her sister, for fears that she might start an argument. Icestorm's tail waved through the air as she led the patrol confidently through the forest.

"Amberpaw, tell me what you can smell," Icestorm meowed when they reached the edge of the forest. The white she-cat sat down and looked at Amberpaw through an unreadable expression.

Ducking her head in embarrassment, Amberpaw sniffed the air loudly. "I smell...Mangofern!" She gasped when she recognized the scent of the dark ginger she-cat. Mangofern had been sneaking out of camp recently; only Goldenpaw seemed to know what was going on, though she refused to tell Amberpaw anything.

Icestorm blinked in surprise, but before she could reply, a tabby kittypet strolled out of the ferns, looking terrified. Amberpaw remembered Goldenpaw saying something like a kittypet had been seen on the territory, but she didn't know that the kittypet had been seeing Mangofern. In fact, her scent was practically rolling off of him in waves.

"Please help!" he cried, his voice sending a chill down Amberpaw's spine. "Mangofern, she's giving birth...and...there's...so...much blood!" He stammered as he spoke, and it was difficult for Amberpaw to catch what he said.

Icestorm exchanged shocked glances with the three warriors, than looked at Leapordblaze. "Go and fetch Rainshower, this could be bad," she ordered.

Immediately Leapordblaze nodded and dashed away. Icestorm allowed the kittypet to lead the way, though her eyes were narrowed with rage. Amberpaw's own expression was hard to fathom, as she tried to figure out why Mangofern would have ever wanted to see a kittypet in the first place. What made it worse was that she was on the farthest part of the border. It could take Rainshower some time before he finally came.

"Mangofern, are you alright?" the kittypet asked. He had come towards a tiny clearing; one where they had obviously met several times. Amberpaw noted dutifully that the ferns that surrounded the clearing were covered and warm looking, with imprints of feline shapes. Dusty paw prints also covered the area, though they were more frequent. What scared Amberpaw the most, was the stench of blood that filled the air.

"I'm...sorry...Archy," Mangofern rasped. Blood spilled from her mouth, and her eyes closed with effort. Onto the nest next to her came a tiny, squirming shape. Before Amberpaw could react, Rosefoot, who had given birth before, leaped onto the sack and nipped it open with gentle teeth. Instantly squeals of hunger and terror came, and Amberpaw's ears pricked forward with curiosity.

Archy's eyes were wide with grief as Mangofern's eyes closed. She shook violently, sending droplets of blood into the air. Suddenly, she gasped, and stopped breathing. Amberpaw closed her own eyes, feeling a wave of grief for the she-cat.

"No!" Archy wailed. His legs crumpled from beneath him as he sobbed over Mangofern's body.

"What's going on?" Amberpaw turned to see Rainshower bounding past Icestorm to reach Mangofern. His yellow eyes were wide with sorrow when he realized that it was too late.

"Why would StarClan do this to her?" Rosefoot whimpered as she crept forward. A shudder went through the dark cream she-cat as she remembered her own birth.

Rainshower was silent for a few moments. "It is a sign," he finally meowed. His voice was choked as he tried to speak. "Kittypets and Clan cats don't match." He then glanced at the squirming kit who was now mewling for milk. "Poppyfrost should still have enough milk for her. Take the kit to her; I'll take care of the kittypet."

Archy watched in disbelief as Icestorm nodded and took the kit gently by the scruff. Even Icestorm had had kits before. She had suckled Firespirit when he was a kit; Leafspots, Hollystar's best friend, had died giving birth as well. It had been a painful memory, according to Brightheart. The elder had told Amberpaw and her siblings so many stories. She wished she would have listened to them more.

She sighed as she followed her mentor through the thick undergrowth, avoiding logs or tree stumps. It would be bad for the poor newborn if Icestorm tripped. Amberpaw watched through carefully trained eyes for any signs of enemy warriors, as they streaked past WindClan's territory. Luckily they hadn't run into any patrol, so it was just a straight run.

Eventually they reached the camp, where Cinderstar was pacing beside Leapordblaze, who had stayed behind to warn the Clan. The kit dangled loosely from Icestorm's jaws, and Cinderstar's eyes widened in shock.

"What happened?" the gray tabby demanded.

"Mangofern gave birth to a kittypet's kit," Icestorm explained when she handed the kit over to Leapordblaze. He carefully took it and immediately headed over to the nursery. "She's dead."

Cinderstar bowed her head, and a look of pain flashed through her eyes. Amberpaw noticed a strange look cross Blazepaw's face as he watched. It was almost as if he were harboring some sort of secret. He had been acting that way since he'd gone into Rainshower's den to get his paw--which was still swollen--checked.

"She didn't deserve to die," Cinderstar murmured. Her blue eyes were gleaming sharply as she looked at Amberpaw. "Where is her body?"

"Rainshower's bringing it back," Icestorm replied instantly.

The ThunderClan leader let out a sharp gasp. But before any cat could say anything, Rainshower returned, with Mangofern's body. His expression was unreadable as he dragged the body across the ground and into camp.

"I've taken care of the kittypet," Rainshower muttered. Amberpaw glanced down at his paws, which were stained with blood. Her eyes widened in horror when she realized what he meant by, 'he took care of the kittypet'. Rainshower had murdered Archy, through cold blooded hate.

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**Now I bet you didn't expect that! I wasn't sure whether or not I should write it like that, but...I don't know. Anyways, please review, as always!**


	22. Chapter 20

~Chapter 21~

"Let all cats old enough gather around the Smoothrock for a Clan meeting!" Cinderstar's call made Blazepaw look up. His green eyes were wide with curiosity, until he remembered what day it was. There would be a full moon tonight, and that meant there would be a gathering. Cinderstar must have been announcing who would be coming, and that thought made his fur bristle with excitement.

He limped out of the apprentice's den and sat beside Dovepaw, whose eyes were gleaming like starlight. Amberpaw and Goldenpaw were sitting together, with their pelts brushing each other. Stripepaw sat alone, with his dark blue eyes staring straight at Cinderstar. Brownpaw was crouched on Dovepaw's other side, looking as excited as Blazepaw felt.

"These are the cats who will be coming to the Gathering," Cinderstar began, "Foxwhisker, Firespirit, Icestorm, Bumblestripe and Rosefoot, you are the warriors chosen to come. Make sure you get plenty of rest. Blazepaw, Amberpaw, Goldenpaw and Stripepaw will also come."

Blazepaw dipped his head respectfully as the meeting drew to an end. He knew something that his siblings didn't, and he suspected that this was why Cinderstar chose him to come. But as he glanced around, he saw that Rainshower was glaring at his mother. He noticed something strange about the way Rainshower's eyes gleamed. Than he realized that the medicine cat was glaring at _him_, not anyone else.

The young ginger tom pressed closer to his sisters, who were talking about Mangofern, and her death. The Clan had held vigil for her last night, and Amberpaw had said something about wanting to meet alone, with no one around. Blazepaw wondered if this was what she meant. He sat down and listened to them carefully.

"I'm telling you, there was blood stained on his claws," Amberpaw hissed in a low whisper. Goldenpaw's eyes were wide with fear, but she didn't look like she believed Amberpaw. Suddenly Blazepaw remembered the way Rainshower glared at him, and he shuddered involuntarily.

"Why would Rainshower want to kill?" Goldenpaw demanded in a hushed voice. Her green eyes reflected Blazepaw's confusion. "He's been ThunderClan's medicine cat for moons!" He tilted his head to the side as he remembered Cinderstar's words: Rainshower was her kit. That meant that Rainshower had been Hollystar's brother all along. He suddenly gasped at the revelation, realizing that it also meant that they were kin.

"Instead of trying to decide who the killer is, why don't we get rest?" Goldenpaw suggested when no one else spoke. Blazepaw nodded in agreement. He didn't want to think of Rainshower as a cold blooded killer. If that were the case, than that would mean that he was kin to a psychotic cat.

He followed Goldenpaw into the apprentices' den, with Amberpaw close behind. He could feel her frustration churning in her belly like waves, though he ignored it for the most part. Stripepaw was already fast asleep; curled up where he usually slept. Blazepaw curled up in his nest, and soon found himself fast asleep, eager for the day to end and for the Gathering to begin.

A paw prodded Blazepaw's side, causing him to groan. He turned a little in his nest, as the paw prodded harder. Suddenly, the paw jabbed his side, and Blazepaw's eyes stretched wide open.

"It's time." Foxwhisker stood in front of him, looking through an excited gaze.

Groggily Blazepaw rose to his paws. They were still fast asleep as he dragged himself over to his siblings. The moon was steadily climbing over the trees, a sure thing that the Gathering was about to begin. Blazepaw's ears pricked forward when he realized that Stripepaw was sitting close to Goldenpaw. The pale ginger she-cat looked uncomfortable, as though she was trying to get away from Stripepaw. Blazepaw knew that if the pale gray tom ever harmed his sister, he would claw his ears off and then...

"Come, lets go!" Cinderstar's yowl carried across the Smoothrock, and she bounded towards the head of the den.

Blazepaw followed with the same limping gait. Rainshower was at the head of the Gathering patrol, talking quietly to Cinderstar. Thornclaw was also at the head of the patrol, though he remained quiet as he listened to the ThunderClan leader and medicine cat.

Amberpaw's words rang in Blazepaw's ears when they spoke earlier that day. Could Rainshower possibly be a killer? What would become of the Clan if that were the case? Blazepaw shuddered at the thought. It was bad enough that there were former murderers in the Clan, they didn't need their medicine cat to be one.

They passed the hotsprings, which looked warm and tempting right now. Blazepaw shook his head and ignored the thought of just jumping in. It would be a foolish act, and though it might have done his paw some good, he knew the Gathering was far more important.

Eventually they reached a swollen river, which ran straight into RiverClan territory. A pile of boulders jutted out from the foaming white river, high enough so that the tops were not wet.

"These shouldn't be too hard for you to cross," Foxwhisker murmured in Blazepaw's ears.

The ginger tom nodded. He waited for several other warriors to cross, and watched how they used their legs to leap from rock to rock, until they were on the other shore. Finally it was his turn. The rest of the Clan waited for him on the other side. He stretched his legs as far as possible, until he was at the end of the last boulder. But just as he was about to cross, his bad paw slipped.

Blazepaw let out a yowl of surprise, and plunged into the surging river. He gasped as water surrounded him. _I'm going to drown! _His mind was burning with terror as he fought against the water, his paws becoming useless against the strength of the river. He was going to drown before he even reached the Gathering. And there was nothing he could do to help himself.

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**Ah sorry about that! Honestly, Blazepaw is one of my favorite characters. I'm going to wait for you to reply, and see what happens from there. Good luck finding out what happens to him!**

**What Should Blazepaw's Name Be?**

**A) Blazemoon**

**B) Blazeclaw**

**C) Blazeheart**

**D) Blazestripe  
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	23. Chapter 21

**Sorry for the wait. I just found out that my grandpa died on Sunday, so we're going to have a viewing tonight. I'm sorry if I don't update soon, but it's because I'm either really depressed or I can't think of anything to write.**

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~Chapter 22~

Goldenpaw's eyes widened with horror as Blazepaw's body plunged into the dark water's depths. She whirled around to glare at Foxwhisker, who seemed frozen with fear. What kind of mentor allowed their apprentice to drown?

But before she could yowl that to his face, Cinderstar leaped into the water after her brother. Goldenpaw watched from a distance, willing StarClan to let the ThunderClan leader live. She couldn't think of anything worse than to watch Cinderstar die right before the Gathering started.

Just as the pale ginger apprentice thought they were both going to drown, a yowl of surprise came from the other side. She looked up to see a large black tom with yellow eyes looking wildly at the river. Beside him were two cats: A mottled gray-blue tom and a brown tabby she-cat. "Rainstorm, Duskfur, see if you can fish them out," he ordered.

The sleek-furred cats plunged into the water after Cinderstar and Blazepaw, and Goldenpaw felt another thrill of fear. What if they drowned as well? But then she noticed that they were actually _swimming. _They moved gracefully in the water like otters, and soon Rainstorm grabbed Blazepaw by the scruff. He had stopped struggling in the water from exhaustion and was now getting dragged downriver. Duskfur helped Cinderstar to the other side of the shore, where the rest of the Clan was waiting impatiently.

"Mousebrain!" Duskfur growled when they were out of the water. Her pelt was soaking wet as Cinderstar gasped for breath. "Next time leave the swimming to RiverClan cats."

_RiverClan! _Goldenpaw stared at them in surprise for the first time. The only RiverClan cat she had ever seen was Willowshine, a gray tabby who had come looking for herbs. Now she knew how these cats became excellent swimmers. She got a really good look at their paws, and saw that they were webbed like an otters' feet.

"Hush Duskfur," meowed the black tom. He watched as Rainstorm dragged Blazepaw to shore. The ginger apprentice had begun to furiously spit at Rainstorm as he was being dragged, and Goldenpaw had to stifle a purr of amusement. Blazepaw looked like a wet rat.

"Thank you Reedstar," Cinderstar sighed. Her voice was full of relief as she consulted with the RiverClan leader. "The thanks of ThunderClan goes with you."

There were a few disgruntled growls from the older warriors as they glared at the RiverClan cats. Goldenpaw looked around and saw that Rosefoot was glowering at Reedstar. She tilted her head to the side, wondering why the dark cream warrior would feel so upset.

Reedstar dipped his head and began to pad away, with Duskfur and Rainstorm following. Goldenpaw noticed that there were more cats waiting at the top of a large hill. They had watched the entire scene through narrowed eyes.

With a last glance at the foaming white river, Goldenpaw padded alongside Blazepaw and Amberpaw. Blazepaw was still dripping wet, and muttering crossly to himself, silently cursing StarClan for getting him wet.

"Are you alright?" Goldenpaw whispered when they were out of earshot from the others.

Blazepaw shot her a furious glare. "Do I _look_ alright?" he growled in reply.

Goldenpaw gasped as though he had swiped his claw across her muzzle. Blazepaw only snorted and went on ahead, limping as he did so. Amberpaw pressed herself closely to Goldenpaw's side, giving her sister a little comfort.

"Give him time, the mousebrain's just embarrassed," she murmured.

The two she-cats purred and continued to walk along the path Cinderstar had made for them. Her pelt was still dripping wet, though she wasn't going to show just how cold she was. A chilly wind had settled in from the north, causing it to be bitterly cold out for a Gathering.

Eventually they reached a large clearing, which was surrounded by four massive rocks. Goldenpaw stared at them in awe, as they towered above her. RiverClan and WindClan had already arrived. They were either sharing tongues or talking about what had happened during the moon they hadn't met.

Firespirit and Icestorm immediately went over to the WindClan cats, while Bumblestripe, Rosefoot and Thornclaw spent their time with RiverClan cats. Stripepaw had gone off somewhere on his own, while Blazepaw was still by himself.

Before Goldenpaw could make a move, a light gray tabby she-cat approached her. She was small and fragile looking, but beneath that pelt, she was powerful. Goldenpaw knew that she would have a lot more to learn before she could look as elegant and confident as this apprentice.

"Hi there," she meowed. "What's your name?"

"Goldenpaw, and this is Amberpaw, my sister." Goldenpaw waved her tail to Amberpaw, whose eyes were narrowed once more. "My brother, Blazepaw is grouching over there." She pointed her tail to a still wet Blazepaw.

The tabby let out an amused purr. "So he's the cat who went for a swim," she mewed. Her blue eyes gleamed as she spoke. "Reedstar told me all about it."

Goldenpaw couldn't help but duck her head in mild embarrassment. It was bad enough that the RiverClan leader had saved her brother, but now he was spreading rumors about it as well. She sighed and looked at her paws, wondering if there was really a point in going to a Gathering if they were just going to embarrass themselves.

"My name's Fallowpaw by the way," the tabby added. "I've been training for almost three moons now!"

"Wow," Amberpaw snorted. She rolled her eyes and padded away, leaving Goldenpaw to talk alone.

"Don't mind Amberpaw, she's a bit..." Goldenpaw paused for a moment to think of the right word. She liked Fallowpaw, and she didn't want to make enemies with her already. "She's a bit paranoid," she finally murmured.

Fallowpaw gave a soft purr and flicked her tail. "Is this your first time at a Gathering?" she asked.

"Yeah," Goldenpaw replied, feeling slightly sheepish.

"Why don't I show you around? I'm sure Driftpaw won't mind." Before she could make a move though, a pale gray, almost white tom was padding towards her. He had the same dark blue eyes as Stripepaw, but he looked more like Fallowpaw then anything else.

"Who's this?" he demanded.

"Driftpaw, this is Goldenpaw," Fallowpaw explained. "Goldenpaw, this is Driftpaw, my annoying brother."

Driftpaw rolled his eyes and batted her ears. She hissed in annoyance and suddenly pounced on Driftpaw, causing him to stifle a snarl of outrage. The two siblings suddenly began to play fight, while Goldenpaw dodged to the side to watch. It was almost amusing in a way. It reminded Goldenpaw of how she, Amberpaw and Blazepaw would constantly argue over something as stupid as who would get the first mouse. She sighed at the happy memories.

Fallowpaw grinned wildly as she grabbed at Driftpaw's ears. Goldenpaw shook her head and glanced around, wondering if there was anything else to do. But before she could even move a muscle, she heard a fierce yowl coming from the shadows. She realized that it must be ShadowClan, from their pungent smell. Almost immediately, a large dark gray tom sped out of the undergrowth, with eyes that were full of pride. Several cats followed him, with the same look in their eyes.

"ShadowClan's here," a cat meowed. Goldenpaw turned to see that it was Stripepaw. His dark blue eyes narrowed as a dark brown tom padded past him, with an incredulous look in his gaze. Followed by him were two cats: A blood-red tom and a light brown-and-white tom.

She shook her head, wondering what exactly he meant by that. But there was nothing she could do or say to ask why. Instead, Stripepaw just turned to stare at the leaders, as the Gathering began.

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**It's sort of a cheesy ending. Sorry about that. I'm not sure when I'm going to update, like I said. I might wait until I get forty five reviews, but that depends. Anyways, please review!**


	24. Chapter 22

**Thanks everyone for reviewing! I'm really glad I've reached over fifty chapters. As you all know by now, this story is almost over...*wails* but there are fifteen chapters to go, and so, the countdown will begin!**

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~Chapter 23~

"Let all cats gather around the Fourrocks for the Gathering!" Amberpaw looked up at Scorchfur, the ShadowClan deputy's, cry. His yellow eyes were gleaming as she padded forward, looking at him through narrowed eyes. Amberpaw wondered what was with the look in his eyes. And why the rest of the ShadowClan cats looked like that as well. She shook the thought off and sat close to Blazepaw's side, aware of the anger seething from his ginger pelt.

"Who gave him the right to speak first?" Firespirit muttered under his breath. The golden brown tabby muttered to Icestorm. The white she-cat immediately rebuked him with a cuff around the ears, and Firespirit ducked his head angrily.

Huffing with amusement, Amberpaw looked back up at the four rocks that surrounded the clearing. Scorchfur's dark gray pelt gleamed like silver in the moonlight. His amber eyes were glowing like embers as he stared down at the four Clans.

"All is well in ShadowClan," he meowed. "We have one new warrior: Sapfur!" Yowls of congratulations followed his call. Amberpaw strained her legs to get a good look at who Scorchfur spoke about. She gasped at the sight of the cat. He was a large dark brown tom, with a twisted tail. He had bright amber eyes, and an unusually calm aura around him. Amberpaw knew he would make a formidable foe in battle. "Also, Dawnstar has had a litter of three healthy kits." His eyes gleamed once more as he spoke of the leaders' name.

Now Amberpaw knew why he was so happy. He was Dawnstar's mate, and her kits must have been the heyday of his life. She let out a purr of amusement and cheered Dawnstar's name, remembering that the ShadowClan leader had been friendly the last time she came to visit camp. But Amberpaw had only been a kit then, and even now she hardly remembered. Amberpaw just hoped that ThunderClan and ShadowClan would remain allies for some time to come.

"What are their names?" Cinderstar asked. Her blue eyes were gleaming casually as she asked. Amberpaw remembered Peppermint saying that Cinderstar and Dawnstar had been good friends before the Clans split off once more. She wondered what it was like, for the two leaders to combat against each other while leading the Clans.

"Oakkit, Pinekit and Beetlekit," Scorchfur replied.

Cinderstar bowed her head and glanced around. "I will go," she meowed. She rose to her paws and stared down at the every cat in the Clans. "I have the most unnerving news: Solar, the loner we met on the journey, has come back. He says that Stormfur is returning, along with Brook. Though this should be a time to celebrate, something does not seem right."

Murmurs of agreement followed her words. Amberpaw cocked her head in confusion. What did Solar do to make the Clans hate him? She noticed that Embertail's eyes were gleaming with excitement, not anger. Maybe Embertail knew more about Solar then the rest of the Clans. Amberpaw made a note in her head to ask the tortoiseshell she-cat.

"We also have three new apprentices: Amberpaw, Blazepaw, and Goldenpaw!" Cinderstar waited as the Clans cheered Amberpaw's name, along with her siblings. She ducked her head in utter embarrassment, remembering what Peppermint had told her before the Gathering started: Don't act out unless they needed to. "That is all."

Cinderstar backed off her boulder as Weaselstar began to speak. He, unlike the rest of the leaders, had glared at Sapfur. Amberpaw was the first to notice the glint in his eyes; an accusation of which she didn't know yet. But she knew he would announce it sooner or later to the Clans. Luckily WindClan had little to report, other than a pesky fox that had been rummaging through their food supplies. Next was Reedstar's turn.

The black RiverClan leader looked nervous, as if he was expecting something to come out and get him. But he took a deep breath and stepped forward, meeting the expectant eyes of warriors and elders. "All is well in RiverClan," he began. Amberpaw's ears pricked forward when she noticed that his breath sounded shaky. "We lost a warrior just two nights ago: Sneezepelt. He died a warriors death, but that does not mean RiverClan is weakened by it."

Amberpaw glared at Blazepaw as he cursed under his breath. Her brother was acting mouse-brained, once more. "I think we should fight them," he muttered crossly.

She shoved him hard and he nearly fell over. With a glare, he stared at her hard. "Don't think that too hard," she growled. "The last thing we need is a fight."

When Reedstar finished speaking, the Gathering drew to an end. Amberpaw followed her Clanmates back towards the entrance of the clearing, when she noticed that Goldenpaw was sitting close to Stripepaw.

_What does she want with him? _she wondered as her gray eyes narrowed. With a shake of her head, Amberpaw bounded after Cinderstar as they raced back to camp. Tomorrow, she would ask Goldenpaw what she was doing with Stripepaw. _No, I'm going to ask her what she _will _do with Stripepaw,_ she thought determinedly.

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**So did it suck? I sort of think it did...Oh well, hopefully it gave a lot of information. Oh, and happy late thanksgiving everyone!**


	25. Chapter 23

**Sorry it took me so long to update! I've been working like crazy to get ready for finals, which is coming in like...a week and a half. Anyways, thanks to those who have reviewed!**

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~Chapter 24~

The clearing was still and silent. Blazepaw's eyes narrowed as he began to wonder where he was. Part of him already knew this place. It was surrounded by rotting fungi, and glowing green moss. The place had a dark, eerie effect on him. Blazepaw shuddered with a strange sensation of want and power, and the strong feelings unnerved him.

His paw was burning furiously like fire as he limped onwards, to where, he didn't know. But something in his mind told him that he was getting closer to the answer of his question: What was wrong with his paw?

Suddenly the ginger tom stopped. Flecks of leaves scattered the ground. Dead, curled up wheat grass surrounded his every turn. Blazepaw's eyes scanned the clearing, until he quickly spotted what had caused the unusual marks. A dark brown tom stood in the center of the clearing. He had thick muscles, a white underbelly and icy blue eyes. Blazepaw stared at the cat in horror when he recognized him.

_That's the cat from my dream! _He gasped at the revelation. But before he could spit anything out, the dark brown tom padded forward. Every pawstep made the ground vibrate, causing Blazepaw to shudder with dread.

"You're Blazepaw, aren't you." His words were more like a statement rather then a question. "I thought I would meet you eventually." The dark brown tom snorted and looked away, into the shadows.

"Wh-where am I?" Blazepaw asked, stuttering. His pelt crawled like there were ants in them. Blazepaw gazed at the dark brown tom, and suddenly realized that he had fleas in his pelt. _What kind of a place is this? _he wondered as his nose wrinkled with disgust.

Suddenly the older cat bared his teeth down at Blazepaw. He shrank back, suddenly realizing that this cat could easily flay him if he wanted to. Blazepaw knew if he were to get out of this nightmare alive, he would need his very wits about him.

"You have no idea who I am, do you?" the dark brown tom growled. When Blazepaw shook his head, the dark brown tom drew back. "My name is Hawkfrost. I was once the greatest warrior in RiverClan, until that _mousebrain _of a brother murdered me!" He was spitting now, writhing around furiously.

Blazepaw stared at him in shock. He remembered tales of how Bramblestar, leader before Hollystar, had had a half brother in RiverClan. Hawkfrost had mysteriously been killed, though most cats believed that Bramblestar had actually murdered him. Blazepaw never even wanted to believe the tales were true. Suddenly his mind reeled back to thoughts of Cinderstar, and how she had admitted that she was Rainshower's mother. Though it was a random thought, it made his fur burn with curiosity.

"You want to know why you're here," Hawkfrost meowed. His tail tip twitched slightly at the sound of approaching pawsteps. Blazepaw followed his gaze until he saw a brown-and-cream she-cat, standing in the center of the clearing. Her blue eyes gleamed coldly as she looked up at Hawkfrost, who now sat down and grinned at them. Blazepaw tilted his head to the side as he watched the she-cat. He had never seen her before, not even on any patrols.

"What is that ThunderClan _rat_ doing here?" she demanded in a snarl. The intensity of her voice made Blazepaw gasp in surprise. He didn't think a cat could be so cold, especially a she-cat.

Hawkfrost looked at both cats before replying. "Brownpatch, you should know," he replied. "Blazepaw is kin of Lionblaze, and Cinderheart."

Brownpatch's eyes widened in astonishment. Then she looked furious, cold, and battle-hungry. She turned to glare at Blazepaw through hate-filled eyes, before springing on him. With a yowl of surprise, Blazepaw fell to the ground, with her weight on top of him. He could barely struggle as she kept a firm grip on his scruff. Her white paw held steadily on his throat, nearly choking him.

"Now, I'm sure you two have met," Hawkfrost meowed with one more flick of his tail. When neither cat replied, he sighed an shook his head. His voice dripped with disappointment as he spoke. "Brownpatch is kin of the great Breezestar, and Blazepaw, you are kin of the great Lionblaze, or Firestar. I have called you here, because I know what you are searching for: Power. You want to protect your Clans with your lives, and at no matter what the cost will you do so. I've seen you both work and fight, and you have skills that even I could never surpass. And I wish to teach you everything I know."

Blazepaw stared at the dark brown tom in shock. But before he could, his paw began to throb with pain. He gasped slightly as he closed his eyes. When the pain dulled, he opened them once more, and found himself back in his own nest, next to Amberpaw. He sat there, panting for several moments before finally relaxing. What was he going to do now?

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**Sort of a crappy ending. I admit that, I know. But I wasn't sure what else I could add there. And do you guys remember Brownkit from Stars of Glory? I'm not sure if I killed her off, but she's back if I haven't. And she's...well, you'll find out soon enough XD Thanks again everyone for reviewing!**


	26. Chapter 24

**I'm glad everyone liked Brownpatch! I know that I've sort of gone off the deep-end by making her crazy, and I apologize for that. In this chapter, you'll learn a bit more about her. Now, on to another Blazepaw chapter!**

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~Chapter 25~

His muscles were screaming with exhaustion. Tired and hungry from the dreams' battle training, Blazepaw stood up and scanned the apprentices' den. Amberpaw was twitching in her sleep, while Goldenpaw was gone. He remembered that she had the dawn patrol. She would be up by now, getting ready to leave.

With a wide yawn, Blazepaw stretched, winced from his pad, and limped out of the den. Cats were only just beginning to emerge from their dens. Foxwhisker and Icestorm poked their heads out of the nursery, while Brightheart emerged from the elders' den. Her one good eye gleamed at the sight of the fresh-kill pile, which was still well-stocked from the previous nights' hunting patrols.

Already Hawkfrost's nightmares were beginning to break apart. The only thing Blazepaw could remember was the fact that Hawkfrost would visit him once more tonight. He shuddered at the possibility of running into Brownpatch in a patrol. She seemed to hate every ThunderClan cat. And Blazepaw had no clue why. All he did know, was that he would need to learn soon. Otherwise she could harm a warrior without meaning to.

"Hey Blazepaw, you're up early." He turned to see that Foxwhisker had padded over to him, and was now staring at him dubiously. Blazepaw nodded and murmured that he couldn't sleep. Foxwhisker looked sympathetic, but then his eyes gleamed brighter then usual. "Why don't we begin our training?" he suggested. "Cinderstar's asked me if you're ready for your first assessment, and I said I'd have to find out how your training is going."

Blazepaw's own eyes glowed with happiness as he thought of what his mentor was saying. He jumped to his paws and bounded after Foxwhisker as the reddish tabby led him towards the training hollow. The sun's rays beat down hard on them as Foxwhisker sat down. With a flick of his white-tipped tail, Foxwhisker meowed, "Now, show me what you can do."

The two cats began to work on each other. Blazepaw remembered Hawkfrost's training, and began to use the moves that he had taught him. Foxwhisker's eyes gleamed impressively as he lowered his head and nearly bowled into Blazepaw. But Blazepaw was fast, despite the cut in his pad. He rushed out of the way just when Foxwhisker was about to ram into him, with his claws sheathed. Foxwhisker hissed in surprise when Blazepaw tripped him with his leg, a move Hawkfrost taught him. He twisted in the air when Foxwhisker tried to run straight at him. The older warrior gasped when he nearly ran head-first into a tree.

The strong feelings of power were beginning to take over Blazepaw's body. He no longer felt like a weakling like his sisters told him. In fact, he felt even stronger then Hawkfrost and Foxwhisker combined. He growled at the feelings that filled his head. Somehow, they made him unnerved. What if the feeling of power took over during battle? What if he accidentally killed a cat? He didn't think he could live with himself if that ever happened.

But as they continued to joust, Blazepaw soon learned to take control of his extra strength. He used it to knock over Foxwhisker any time the older warrior tried to lunge forward, or to put a firm hold on Foxwhisker's neck. The reddish tabby twisted and struggled as Blazepaw leaned forward. He gasped when Foxwhisker began to cough and sputter, and he let go.

Foxwhisker steadily rose to his paws, but he was shivering all over. His pelt was coated with dust and sweat, and he looked strangely at Blazepaw. A shiver ran through Blazepaw as he realized he could have hurt his mentor. But as Foxwhisker looked at Blazepaw, he grinned widely.

"That was great!" he purred suddenly. "You'll have to teach me those moves sometime, I've never seen another warrior use them."

_I can't! _Blazepaw wailed silently. His head hung low as he followed his mentor back into the hollow. The sun had already risen into the sky. By the time they were back, the dawn patrol returned as well. Goldenpaw's eyes were gleaming with triumph as she described what had happened between them and WindClan. By now, his limbs were begging him to rest up in his nest, but something kept Blazepaw from returning. he was afraid Hawkfrost might return.

Goldenpaw looked at Blazepaw and padded over to his side. Her green eyes gleamed with sympathy and she flicked her tail over his ear. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked gently.

"No I don't!" Blazepaw snapped. He didn't want her treating him like her kit. He already had Peppermint for that. He ignored her small gasp of surprise and limped towards the fresh-kill pile. It ha shrunken down just a little bit, but he grabbed a vole just the same. Not only were his limbs throbbing with pain, but his belly was yowling with hunger.

He suddenly began to wonder how long he could go on like this. Goldenpaw and Amberpaw had no clue what was happening in his dreams, or the fact that there was a psycho cat who wanted to kill every warrior and cat in ThunderClan. _I need to learn more about Brownpatch, _he decided. _If that's going to happen, I'll have to meet with a WindClan warrior. _Suddenly his ears pricked, and he finally realized who he would meet with. _I'll meet with an apprentice!_

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**Erm, did I say you'd learn more about Brownpatch in this chapter? XD I suppose I lied. Well, in the chapter after the next one you'll find out more information about her. Hopefully. Anyways, I'm gonna go outside and check out the snow that's been falling for the last four hours!**


	27. Chapter 25

**Yay, I've reached sixty reviews and it's not even the end of the story! Anyways, thanks to those who have reviewed. I was really hoping that I would reach at least over one hundred reviews by the end of the book, but it doesn't seem like that will happen. But, on a lighter note, my friend Snowfire and I have been thinking about writing a story together. We already have the title planned and the plot, but now we just need to figure out who the main character will be. Anyways, enough rambling. Please enjoy this new fun-filled chapter!**

**...Wow that sounded scary...**

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~Chapter Twenty Six~

Streaks of sunlight stretched across the dawn-lit sky. Goldenpaw looked up, sighing as a cold, blistery wind tore through the forest. Leafbare was closing in on the forest, and Rainshower, though as crazy as he'd become, said it would soon snow. She'd often dreamed of what snow looked like, and even saw a tiny little bit of it when she was only a moon old. She knew it was soft, fluffy and white. But it was also cold when a cat touched it, and melted when it got warmer out.

"Goldenpaw, are you up for some battle training?" She looked around and spotted her mentor, Bumblestripe padding towards her. He flicked his black-tipped tail and gazed across the clearing, as though he was searching for something. Sure enough, Rosefoot emerged from the warriors' den with a huge yawn. Goldenpaw suddenly noticed that the dark cream warriors' belly was starting to swell. She wondered if Rosefoot was expecting kits again. "You should move into the nursery," Bumblestripe muttered accusingly. His pale yellow eyes narrowed only for a moment, glowing once more when she purred.

"Oh stop it," she murmured. "I want to help you with your training." Her own eyes gleamed as she stared at Bumblestripe, and he suddenly nodded. "You know I have the best ears in the Clan."

_Not anymore..._Goldenpaw thought. She allowed her senses to trace the forest. A WindClan patrol was scanning the border, sniffing the ground cautiously. She was surprised to see how skinny they looked. But among them was Sagepaw, the cat she had met at the Gathering. He quickly skirted towards his mentor, Sedgepelt, who nodded to him encouragingly. Goldenpaw cast them out of her senses and searched further. A ShadowClan warrior was stalking a vole, getting ever so closer until suddenly, a twig snapped beneath his paws.

"Owlflight, watch where you're going!" he hissed furiously. Goldenpaw almost chuckled at the light brown warrior's over eagerness. Owlflight ducked his head in embarrassment, and turned away.

Suddenly something nudged her shoulder. Goldenpaw blinked in surprise. The images melted away, until they were replaced by Bumblestripe's furious expression. "Honestly, and I though Jayfeather was bad," he muttered with a cross shake of his head.

She felt her pelt prickle with embarrassment and guilt. "I'm sorry!" she mewed. The last thing she wanted was to be on her mentor's bad side. She had never seen Bumblestripe angry, but she knew he was not one to be messed with.

Bumblestripe grunted and rose to his paws. Rosefoot was already waiting for him at the entrance. Several warriors were already emerging from their dens as the sun woke them up. Goldenpaw had noticed that Blazepaw wasn't in his nest, and she wondered if he had been chosen for the dawn patrol. But after casting out her senses towards where the ThunderClan patrol would be, she had not seen him.

She padded after him confidently, pleased to have been chosen for such an unusual training duty. Rosefoot really _did_ have good senses, and that was thanks to Squirrelflight, her former mentor. The dark cream she-cat took pride in her hard work, and was often glad to help younger apprentices who found it hard to concentrate on their work.

The cool scents of the forest welcomed them as they bounded easily through the shriveled up undergrowth. Frost had killed most of the plants, but the catmint that grew by the hotsprings rarely died. Goldenpaw had heard from someone that Twolegs once lived in the area, and left behind the precious supply. Though she had never seen one, Goldenpaw knew that Twolegs were dangerous.

Twolegs had destroyed the Clans' homes twice: Once in the old forest and the other time at the lake. It had been because of the Twolegs that Runningmoon, a warrior, died. Goldenpaw shuddered at the thought of Runningmoon.

His sister, Moonpaw, had had powers exactly like Hollystar, according to Peppermint. But Goldenpaw doubted that was even true. Part of her guessed Moonpaw was special in her own way, but if she had been important, why did she die before she was even a warrior?

The two warriors stopped abruptly. Goldenpaw nearly ran into Bumblestripe, suddenly feeling the tension rise. She gasped when she heard a loud clanking sound, as though something hard was smashing against rocks. She narrowed her eyes and cast out her senses.

Large creatures with long hind legs were digging in the ground with their paws. They were walking around on their hind paws, shouting and using useless words that Goldenpaw couldn't understand. Every now and then one of them would point their paw at the three cats watching them, but they didn't seem to be noticed.

Goldenpaw's fur stood on end with fear and rage. What were the Twolegs doing to their territory? But then she noticed something a Twoleg carried within its paws. It was dark and shiny, and it gleamed with a golden light. The other Twolegs stopped what they were looking to stare at it with awe, and then they began to dig furiously into the ground.

"What are they doing?" Rosefoot breathed. She pressed against Bumblestripe's side. Her eyes were as wide as the moon as she watched them.

"What ever it is, it can't be good." All cats looked in surprise at the sound of a new cat. It was Tigerheart, the cat who had snapped at Owlflight earlier. Snowbird, a pure white she-cat, was with them as well. Beside her stood a small light brown-and-white tom, with an angered expression shot at the Twolegs.

"How long have the Twolegs been here?" Bumblestripe asked. He seemed unaware of the hostility boiling between the three ShadowClan warriors. Goldenpaw twitched her whiskers as the apprentice stalked towards the border. He nearly thrust his muzzle at her face, but thankfully stayed on the border.

"For the last two suns," Owlflight explained. "We don't know why they're here, but when we first heard them, Dawnstar sent out a patrol to observe them. Snowbird was nearly crushed by a monster." Snowbird shuddered at a painful memory, and looked away. Both Bumblestripe and Rosefoot looked shocked as they glanced in the direction of the Twolegs.

"This should be reported to Cinderstar than," Rosefoot meowed. Her voice was filled with concern as she looked up at Tigerheart, who was now glaring coldly at Owlflight. The light brown tabby seemed unphased by Tigerheart's unhappiness. "Do you need any help?"

"Thanks, but no thanks," Tigerheart replied curtly. He glared at Owlflight, as if daring the younger warrior to challenge him. But Owlflight was too busy watching the Twolegs to notice the challenging gleam in his amber eyes. "Anyways, we need to go."

He flicked his tail and led the three cats away. Goldenpaw stared after them, wondering what was going on between Tigerheart and Owlflight. She had noticed his curt attitude when Owlflight scared away the vole he had been stalking. Was he still angry with Owlflight? But before she could ask, Bumblestripe led her back to where the training hollow was. She cast another wary glance over her shoulders, before looking back at her mentor. Something told her that this was only the beginning of what the Twolegs would do.

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**Now I know what you're all thinking. Oh, another Twoleg fic. I'm tired of these. Well, this one's sort of different compared to that. Anyways, hopefully you guys guessed what the Twoleg found. *Hint Hint* It was big, round and shiny. They all practically killed each other for it.**


	28. Chapter 26

**Okay, so my friend Snowfire and I officially decided yesterday that we would write a book together. Each week one of us will make an update, based on two main characters. Anyways, I will give you more info on our profile when we make it^^**

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~Chapter Twenty Seven~

"We have to hurry! It's almost time for the ice season!" Amberpaw's eyes narrowed when she heard a mouse speak. It was as if their very lives depended on gathering nuts and seeds for leafbare. But when she passed a small hole where one mouse had slipped away, she noticed with a pang how skinny they were.

Two suns had passed since Goldenpaw, Bumblestripen and Rosefoot described the Twolegs and what they were doing. Cinderstar and Thornclaw had looked shocked at their description, and perhaps even dismayed. But Amberpaw could tell from the way the Twolegs had acted that they wouldn't stay by their territory for long. She guessed they were going to move on to ShadowClan territory, and dig up holes there as well.

Goldenpaw's eyes had been wide with terror though when she approached Amberpaw. Despite the strong feelings Amberpaw was receiving, she guessed Goldenpaw was more worried about ShadowClan then ThunderClan. "What if they attack us?" she whispered when Amberpaw told her her feelings. Her tail had stretched over her paws and she arched her back.

"You should worry more about us," Amberpaw hissed through clenched teeth. She was beginning to feel rather irritated with Goldenpaw. Her sister had a knack for finding the most annoying times to speak with Amberpaw. Blazepaw didn't seem to notice their argument as he limped past them. His ears flicked forward, but he said nothing. "What if ShadowClan use the Twolegs as an advantage to attack us?"

But Goldenpaw just shook her head. Frustration began to well up in Amberpaw, when Peppermint padded towards them, with a shrew in her jaws. Their mother swiped her tail gently across their heads and looked at them fondly. "You two are always arguing," she purred with amusement. She dropped the shrew at their paws, looking slightly determined. "Eat, you'll need it for later."

She looked up at her mother, grateful for Peppermint's kindness. But she clue why Peppermint was acting this way. Amberpaw looked around, but her siblings how no idea either. Blazepaw just looked at his paws as he began to chew the shrew, while Amberpaw took tiny bites. She wanted the shrew to last, just like her mothers' love.

When they were finished, Amberpaw began to groom her unkempt fur. The sun was slowly descending. Soon, shadows began to streak across the camp, like a long claw stretching out for lost kits. Amberpaw shuddered at the thought of anything like that happening.

As soon as she was done grooming herself, Cinderstar approached, with Icestorm at her side. The white she-cats' eyes gleamed with pride as she looked down at Amberpaw. "Amberpaw, you have been chosen to go on the patrol to seek out why the Twolegs are there," Cinderstar meowed. "Icestorm will leave at dusk, so be prepared."

Amberpaw looked after the ThunderClan leader in shock. Her mouth hung open when she glanced at Icestorm. "You're training is going really well," she murmured. She shuffled the ground with her paws, kicking up a cloud of dust as she did so. "I thought it was time you went on your first mission."

Her eyes gleamed with enthusiasm, but then Amberpaw suddenly felt distraught about leaving her siblings. "But what about Goldenpaw and Blazepaw?" she asked.

Icestorm shook her head, not looking the least bit guilty. "They have their own training that must be taken care of," she replied. "Now lets get going, it's almost dusk."

The two she-cats padded over to the camp entrance. Mousewhisker, Branchfoot and Sorreltail were there as well. Branchfoot's tail lashed impatiently, while Sorreltail just paced around worriedly. Mousewhisker on the other hand looked ready to fight off the Twolegs at any moment. His claws dug into the ground, tearing up the prickly grass as he did so.

Mousewhisker led the way out of camp, towards the path which Bumblestripe and Rosefoot described. It wasn't used as much as the border patrols, but Amberpaw could already smell the rank stench of the Twolegs. Her nose wrinkled as it lingered in the air for a moment longer.

"We're on their trail," Sorreltail murmured in her ear. Amberpaw nodded, though her heart was beating fast. What would they do when they found the Twolegs? What could they do?

Her pelt stood on end when they suddenly heard a shout. Amberpaw peered through fronds of ferns. Twolegs were everywhere at the dried up streambed. They were pointing fingers, digging into the ground, sending dirt and soil flying in the air. Some of them carried sharp looking objects and swung the objects into the ground, causing the dirt to dig up even further. Amberpaw stared at them in dismay.

_How can we possibly scare them away? _she wondered. They were so huge, and there were certainly more Twolegs then ThunderClan warriors. Amberpaw knew that they would lose. But her heart wrenched at the thought of the Twolegs taking over the territory. If that happened, they would have to find yet another home.

"What should we do?" Branchfoot asked worriedly. His amber eyes were round with curiosity though as he peered at the Twolegs. Amberpaw suddenly remembered that Branchfoot wasn't Clanborn. He had been found on ThunderClan territory, by Hollystar.

"What _can_we do?" Mousewhisker spat. Every hair on his pelt was standing on end, and his eyes were dark with fury. "I hate Twolegs!"

Sorreltail rested her tail gently on his shoulder, and his muscles stopped shaking. "We all do," she murmured gently. "I was a young warrior back when the Twolegs took over the old forest. They destroyed everything, and killed many brave warriors." Her eyes were dark with a deep memory that Amberpaw could only imagine.

_I wish I could have been apart of that, _she thought with wonder. Suddenly something moved within a pile of rotting leaves. Amberpaw narrowed her eyes when she realized it was a mole. It was looking at her questioningly, and then began to scratch its ears with its hind paws.

"They're mining," the mole suddenly said. Amberpaw's eyes widened with shock, but when she looked around, she saw that the warriors were too intent on finding out how they could stop the Twolegs.

"What do you mean?" she whispered. Even as she said it, the mole's own eyes widened in surprise. It suddenly sprang back into the ground. "Wait!" she cried, forgetting that she wasn't alone. "I'm not going to hurt you!"

A tiny head poked out, and a star-shaped nose pointed at her. "How...How can you be speaking to me?" the mole asked. Curiosity gleamed in its eyes as Amberpaw quietly explained everything. It was almost a relief to spill everything out to a creature that wouldn't tell another soul. "So these ancestors of yours, StarClan, gave you these powers?" it asked.

"I don't know," Amberpaw admitted. She was surprised with herself. She really wasn't sure where the dreams or the powers came from. But one thing she did know, was that she could use it to ThunderClan's advantage. "Can you tell me what the Twolegs are doing?" she asked gently.

The mole sniffed, and for a moment Amberpaw was afraid it would hide back in its burrow. But then it glanced around, and leaned forward. Its nose was barely a whisker-length away from her own. "They are mining for gold," it replied. "This land is famous for it. They block out the water running from the stream, and dry up the soil. And then they use it for digging land. I lost so many burrows thanks to those wretched creatures."

Amberpaw was about to say something else, but was stopped when Sorreltail padded over. "ShadowClan are watching," she meowed in a low whisper.

The two she-cats looked up and saw a group of ShadowClan warriors staring at them through narrowed gazes. Amberpaw recognized Darkclaw, Ivytail, Tigerheart and Sapfur. All cats looked thin and hungry as they stepped forward.

"Prey stealers!" Sapfur suddenly cried. His call was taken up by the rest of the patrol. Amberpaw winced when she suddenly realized the ShadowClan warriors were about to attack. Were they really mousebrained enough to attack in the middle of Twoleg territory? But as they stalked forward, with their hackles raised and their claws unsheathed, she knew she would have to fight, no matter how much she'd rather not.

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**Yay Amberpaw's powers became useful! And this is a super long chapter! Anyways, thanks flareon200 for reviewing. You get an Amberpaw plushie! I know you want to hug her! Anyways updates might not be as frequent from now on, since finals week is slowly approaching. I might be able to start updating once every morning, but that might be it. Happy reading!**


	29. Chapter 27

**Yay for 64 reviews! Think I could reach 70 before updating? Anyways, we're slowly winding down to the end of the book. Now I know this really hasn't gone anywhere, but the last few chapters will give a lot away. Hopefully not too much. And in other news, I just talked to Snowfire and she said she's taking a break on her own story so that we can write our new story which will be entitled: Burning Heather. Our penname is known as StarlessSnowfire, check it out!**

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~Chapter 28~

Blazepaw let his claws dig into the ground when he heard fierce battle cries raise above the ShadowClan border. Every hair on his body told him to go and fight them, to prove to ShadowClan that they were not weak. But he kept going, towards the WindClan.

The cat he had decided to meet agreed to stay quiet. Her name was Heronpaw, and she was a pretty pale gray she-cat. But Blazepaw was smart enough after learning from Mangofern's mistake that he could not have a mate outside the Clan. Mangofern had died from it.

He sniffed the air cautiously, before stepping forward. A quiet mew greeted him. He looked up to see bright blue eyes looking straight at him, and his ears quivered for a moment. _Stop acting like a mousebrain!_ he told himself.

"What would you like to know?" Heronpaw asked as she sat down beside him. Her closeness unnerved him, and Blazepaw almost felt like running from the spot. But he kept still, and asked her about Brownpatch. But as soon as he mentioned her name, Heronpaw bit her lips. "Erm, Brownpatch isn't part of WindClan," she meowed. "She was exiled after she tried killing Heathertail, her own mother."

"What?" Blazepaw yelped. His eyes widened in horror. Suddenly, those blue eyes that Brownpatch had had made sense. They were the same color of Heathertail's eyes...and that made them kin, since Breezestar had been her mate. Blazepaw still felt uncomfortable at the very thought of it. Breezestar had gone from a loyal deputy to a power hungry leader in less then a moon, when Runningmoon and Moonpaw had been alive.

"After that, we found her scent every now and then, but...she's just left." Heronpaw shrugged as though the thought didn't bother her. Blazepaw just assumed that it was because she wasn't even born or apprenticed at the time.

"Thanks, I appreciate your information," he meowed curtly. Heronpaw's eyes widened, but she just nodded sharply. Blazepaw would have almost liked to have spoken to her longer, but the sun was slowly sinking, and the battle might have ended. He had used it as a distraction to get out of camp, and now he had to get back before they realized he was gone.

He padded away, hoping Heronpaw wouldn't give away any of the things he'd told her. When he was back, the camp was still empty, except for Dovepaw, who had been chosen to keep watch along with Icestorm.

Dovepaw gave him a brisk nod, before looking back at Birchfall. Thornclaw had also stayed behind, but Blazepaw suspected it was because he was the oldest cat in the Clan. Thornclaw was as old as Brightheart, but he had wisdom on his side. The golden brown tabby was a strong deputy for Cinderstar, but Blazepaw knew she would have to choose a new deputy soon.

Suddenly the thistle barrier shivered. Blazepaw's eyes narrowed and he dropped into a defensive crouch, before relaxing when he saw that it was Goldenpaw. But his eyes widened in dismay when he saw a deep gash on her shoulder. Blood was oozing from the wound, dripping on the ground. More stenches of blood filled the air as ThunderClan returned from the border battle.

"Cinderstar lost a life," Amberpaw whispered when she approached him. Her eyes were heavy with exhaustion, and her clwas were stained with blood. Blazepaw was releived to see that it wasn't her own, but his heart skipped a beat when she told him the news.

_How many more lives does she have? _he wondered. His heart quickened when he saw the leader. She was leaning against Hazepelt, who supported her with every pawstep. His green eyes were filled with concern as they older warrior let her go towards Rainshower, who was checking on every wound.

"Tend to the others," Cinderstar ordered. Her voice sounded flat and defeated, and Blazepaw wanted to wail out like a lost kit. Where was the leader he had seen just a moment ago?

Rainshower's eyes gleamed, but he didn't argue. Instead he tended to the other warriors. Goldenpaw flinched as he applied a poultice on her shoulder wound roughly. He didn't even seem to care that he was causing her more pain. Blazepaw glared at him with cold fury as the medicine cat stalked off to the other warriors.

"Are you okay?" he demanded when he padded over to her. The pale ginger she-cat was gingerly moving her leg, and the movement caused her to wince. She looked at him, with horrified eyes.

"The Twolegs took Darkclaw!" Her voice was thinned out into a wail, and Blazepaw rested his tail on her untouched shoulder.

"What do you mean?" he asked. He needed to know more about these stupid Twolegs. Why were they there, and why were they digging? Were they the reason ShadowClan attacked?

Goldenpaw didn't reply. Instead, she turned towards Amberpaw, who was listening intently to the other warriors. Blazepaw sighed and sat down, wondering if there would be any time with his siblings like there had been when they were kits.

"Amberpaw, you said you wanted to speak to me." Blazepaw's eyes widened with shock as Cinderstar limped towards them. Cobwebs now tapered around her ears, while one was stretched over a nasty wound around her muzzle. But she looked confident, now that her wounds had been tended to. She rose her tail in a commanding way, while waiting for Amberpaw's response.

The golden tabby paused for a moment. She stared at Cinderstar with such an intense look that it almost scared Blazepaw. "I know what the Twolegs are doing," she meowed quietly.

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**Gah sorry to leave you on that note! But...It sort of got to the point. Anyways, please review. I'll possibly update when I reach seventy reviews. Depends on what type of a mood I'm in, after all, I have a history essay that needs to be written ;)**


	30. Chapter 28

**Only ten more chapters to go! I was really hoping that I'd reach seventy reviews, but...what ever. Snowfire and I have created our account; it's called StarlessSnowfire. Hopefully we'll get started on the story by tomorrow. And we'll update once a week, just to leave you guys in suspense :D Anyways, a big thanks to flareon200 for giving me the inspiration to continue this series. The next book will probably not come out until January, so keep a look out for it**!

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~Chapter 29~

Pain emanated from the wound on Goldenpaw's shoulder. She never expected to get hurt like this. But the way Sapfur just swiped his claws across her fur was just...almost cruel in a way.

She winced slightly when she gingerly placed her paw on the ground. When she looked up at Bumblestripe, his gaze was disapproving. "Looks like I'll need to give you a break," he murmured with a shake of his head.

Goldenpaw wanted to wail like a lost kit. She was Bumblestripe's fur apprentice. He had done everything he could to make her a better cat. He didn't deserve to get this sort of pressure, let alone leave her to recover. She wanted to train, so she'd get as good as Blazepaw and Amberpaw. But now that might not happen. Thanks to that stupid, good-for-nothing Sapfur.

With a sigh, she sat down, winced, and cast out her senses. She picked up sounds from a WindClan patrol. Weaselstar was leading it, and she noticed he had a strange gait to his walk. He looked as though he was in pain himself. When she reached out further, she picked up traces of the Twolegs, returning from their days work.

"I know what the Twolegs are doing." Goldenpaw's mind snapped back to camp at the sound of her sisters' voice. She turned around and saw that Cinderstar's gaze hardened.

"Why...why don't you come with me and tell me everything," meowed the ThunderClan leader. Amberpaw's head hung low as she followed Cinderstar back into her den. Goldenpaw stared after her, wondering what her sister could possibly mean. Had she learned something from the other creatures around the forest? Remembering that her sister could communicate with creatures other than cats, Goldenpaw shivered. She wondered what it was like to have such a power.

The air was becoming more moist as clouds took over the sky. Goldenpaw knew a storm was on its way; Brightheart had said that when ever animals became more active, it meant rain was on its way. And Goldenpaw had noticed that more prey was abundant.

Looking around to make sure no cat was watching, she rose shakily to her paws. Her shoulder felt like a storm was surging through it. But part of her was determined to find out more about these powers that she and Amberpaw were given. The only way to find that out was by going to the Moonfalls.

Soon, she was limping as strongly as she had walked. Blazepaw would be impressed if he could see her now.

The forest began to thin out by the time she reached the hill top where the Moonfalls rested. She could already hear the sounds of water rushing onto the ground with a tremendous force.

Starlight reflected off the water that cascaded down the rocky walls. Goldenpaw stared at it in awe. This was really the first time she had ever been here. No one but the medicine cats or leaders ever came here to share tongues with StarClan. But Goldenpaw was about to break that record.

She crouched down, wincing when the movement caused pain to flare up in her injury. But she ignored the pain and lapped up a few droplets of the water.

Almost instantly, an intense wariness rose from her. Her eyes began to grow droopy, and suddenly, her body slumped to the ground.

Goldenpaw opened her eyes once more. She was in a forest, not like the one she lived in. A lake stood nearby, with stars glittering on the waters' surface. She saw that the trees here were thicker then those back in ThunderClan territory.

Suddenly a scent clouded the air. Goldenpaw's ears pricked forward, until she could make out distinctive sounds. One was a female's voice, while the others was a male. And it sounded like they were arguing.

"What are we going to do?" the female voice asked. Her voice sounded thin and troubled, as though she wasn't sure if she should argue further with the tom.

"There is nothing we can do," replied the male. "This prophecy didn't even come from StarClan, so we cannot interfere."

_What? _Goldenpaw gasped and her eyes widened with shock. How could a prophecy not come from StarClan? Then she remembered the Three, and how their prophecy came from a group of ancient cats who once lived near the lake. Could this mean that there had been cats here before?

"Eavesdropping are we?" Goldenpaw whirled around, fear emanating from the spot. A dark gray cat with a broad, flattened face was staring at Goldenpaw. She had orange eyes, and when she bared her teeth, her fangs were sharp and yellow. "You're just like your sister, only she wasn't brave enough to venture into our territory."

"W-who are you?" Goldenpaw asked. Her voice was filled with awe as she stared at the cat. Stars glittered in her eyes, and when she lifted a paw, a faint glow pulsed from the spot.

"My name is Yellowfang," the cat replied. "I've been watching over you, and your siblings. Though I worry about Blazepaw. There are times when I cannot see his dreams."

Goldenpaw was about to ask her what she meant by that, when the two cats who had spoken earlier padded forward. She stared at them in shock. One was a gray tabby tom, with bright blue eyes, while the other was a black she-cat with dark green eyes. Goldenpaw noticed something familiar about the she-cat...Suddenly she gasped. This was Hollystar, her great grandmother! Hollystar looked pleased as she looked down at Goldenpaw, and the pale ginger apprentice felt like she was about to faint from the shock.

"We've all been watching over you," Hollystar corrected Yellowfang. The dark gray cat grunted and looked away, though a hint of amusement washed over her eyes. "And now...it is time you've received the prophecy."

She waited patiently as their words echoed around her. "_Cats of Darkness writhe around Shadows. Cats of Amber and Fire, light up the darkness. Only until the gates of Hell are closed, will peace surround the Shadows."_

Goldenpaw's eyes stretched wide with shock as images filled the air. Blood curtailing screams surrounded her, followed by screeches of pain and fear. The shadow of a cat loomed above her, with a claw extended. Goldenpaw saw her brother standing in the center of the lake. His eyes were wide with horror as the claw reached down for him, grabbing him and tossing his body towards her. As Goldenpaw tried to squeeze her eyes shut, she realized that they couldn't. She was forced to watch the scene, again and again until her limbs were numb with exhaustion.

Finally, after what felt like moons, the images began to fade away. But the voices echoed in her head. _Oh StarClan, what's happening to us? _Goldenpaw thought.

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**Eerie right? I forget where I got this idea from...I think it came from a movie I watched. Anyways, please review. Reviews are what makes the world go round, and you wouldn't want to stop it would you?**


	31. Chapter 29

**Hey everyone! I've almost reached seventy reviews. Anyways, Snowy and I have started our fic. We've changed the title of it, and fiddled around with the plot so that it sounded more original then anything else. Well, thanks to those who have reviewed, you all get Dovepaw plushies!**

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[ Chapter 30 ]

The air was damp with rain. Blazepaw looked up, staring at the darkened sky with strained eyes. His training with Hawkfrost had made him much stronger. He hardly felt any pain now in his paw, though the cut still throbbed every now and then. Today, Cinderstar had ordered an patrol to check up on the Twolegs, who were still 'mining'. According to Amberpaw, they were searching for something, and she had found this out from a mole.

The fact that his sister spoke with animals still made him uncomfortable. Goldenpaw had extraordinary hearing. She could hear from many ranges, and had even hear a ShadowClan patrol arguing over a piece of fresh-kill on a black-top known as the Thunderpath. But something deep within his stomach was bothering him. _What's my power?_

He had never shown signs of having a power, and often wondered if he was just left out of it. Though the thought made his fur bristle with jealousy, he cared too deeply for his sisters to let them know. Somehow, a prophecy needed to be fulfilled. And then everything would be back to normal.

"Hey Blazepaw, want to go hunting?" The ginger tom looked up gruffly as Foxwhisker padded forward, making a sloshing sound as his paws trod over mud.

"In this weather?" he grunted. He stood up, miserably shaking a torrent of water from his thick pelt. The rain seemed to fall ceaselessly now. Since Blazepaw's last dream, which had been three nights ago, it began to pour like this nonstop.

Foxwhisker looked amused as he led Blazepaw across the swampy terrain. Blazepaw just lashed his tail in annoyance when he nearly slid on the mud, causing a fierce pain to throb in his pad. But he held his balance, and soon, they reached higher land.

Suddenly, a familiar tangy scent filled the air. Despite the rain, Blazepaw could easily detect it, and a shiver ran through him as he spotted the blue-gray fur of Rainshower. The medicine cat was sniffing at the fronds of a plant Blazepaw didn't recognize. His eyes widened in dismay when he noticed the metallic tang of blood that clutched the air.

"Rainshower, what are you doing out here?" Foxwhisker asked. Blazepaw winced slightly when Rainshower looked up sharply. His yellow gaze met Foxwhisker's own friendly one, and he padded forward, turning a glare at Blazepaw.

"Keep that _filthy_ thing away from me," the medicine cat snarled.

Foxwhisker's jaws gaped open as Rainshower stalked away from them. Blazepaw could almost feel the tension rolling off of the medicine cat as Rainshower drew further away.

"That was uncalled for," Foxwhisker growled. He flexed his claws on to the moist ground, sending droplets of water onto Blazepaw's whiskers.

With a sniff, Blazepaw shook the droplets off and looked at his paws. "Yeah well, I'd rather not fight with him," he mumbled. "My life's in his paws."

And that was true. Rainshower had been the medicine cat for many moons. He was the kin of Hollystar, even if he didn't know it. But Hollystar was also the kin of Jayfeather, the former medicine cat of the Clan. Blazepaw found it rather ironic that so many tidings were happening such as these.

Silence followed Blazepaw's words. Finally, Foxwhisker dropped to a crouch in front of him and looked pleased. "Why don't you go in that direction." His tail pointed towards a grove of trees that were parted slightly by sheer cliffs. "I'll stay in this general area."

Blazepaw nodded and bounded off towards the trees, slowing down once he arrived. He dropped to a hunters' crouch as soon as the scent of prey flooded over him. He spied a mouse, trying to get out of the rain that never seemed to end. It didn't even notice him--above the pouring rain, his pawsteps were much lighter. When he was just a whiskers length away, he pounced.

The mouse didn't have time to squeal in surprise as his teeth clamped around its neck. Blazepaw killed it with one swift blow, and it fell limply in his jaws. He purred through a mouthful of fur and deposited the mouse for later.

By the end of his hunting, he caught two mice and a starling. Though it wasn't much, Blazepaw was still pleased with his catch. It was certainly better then what Foxwhisker caught. The older warrior only ended up with an old blackbird. Foxwhisker helped Blazepaw carry the fresh-kill back into camp, where cats were beginning to gather for some sort of an announcement.

Cinderstar sat on top of the Smoothrock and looked down at the growing number. Rainshower had returned and was now sitting beside Squirrelflight, who was talking about Stripepaw's progress. Apparently, the dark ginger she-cat didn't seem to get along with the pale gray tom. Though Blazepaw couldn't blame her. There was something about Stripepaw that he just didn't like.

He noticed that Amberpaw and Goldenpaw were sitting outside the apprentices' den, while Stripepaw isolated himself once more. But much to Blazepaw's surprise and annoyance, the pale gray apprentice was staring at Goldenpaw through a strange expression.

"What's going on?" he asked, careful not to alert the whole Clan. Amberpaw's eyes widened with disbelief, while Goldenpaw just flicked her tail.

"Didn't you hear? Dovepaw and Brownpaw are earning their names," Amberpaw replied. Blazepaw's mouth opened with shock. Suddenly, he remembered Dovepaw going on and on about finally becoming a warrior.

When every cat seemed to be gathered, and Dovepaw and Brownpaw were sitting in the center of the clearing, Cinderstar addressed the Clan. "Thornclaw, Mudtalon, do you believe your apprentices are ready to earn their warrior names?" Cinderstar began.

The warrior and deputy murmured 'yes' together. Cinderstar closed her eyes and purred for a moment. Blazepaw remembered that this would be her second chance to name new warriors. After the disaster with Mangofern, he thought she deserved it.

"Then I, Cinderstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors. These apprentices have trained hard, and understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Dovepaw, Brownpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and defend your Clan, even with the costs of your lives?"

"I do." Dovepaw's voice nearly came out as a squeak, and she ducked her head in embarrassment. A few warriors chuckled in amusement, while others just looked at her cautiously.

"I do," Brownpaw meowed confidently.

"Than by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Dovepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Dovefall. StarClan honors you for your courage and kindness, and we welcome you as a full warrior."

Dovefall bowed her head as Cinderstar buried her muzzle on her forehead. Then the gray tabby turned to Brownpaw, who was waiting impatiently.

"Brownpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Brownfur. StarClan honors you for your ability to seek guidance, and we welcome you as a full warrior." Brownfur purred as Cinderstar used the same actions with her.

When the meeting drew to an end, Dovefall and Brownfur settled in to hold their silent vigil. Blazepaw wrinkled his nose with sympathy as he watched their pelts get soaked in the rain. He hoped that his own vigil wouldn't be so wet. And he hoped that his own warrior ceremony would come very soon.

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**So what did you think? I'm glad that Dovefall and Brownfur are finally warriors, they've earned it. Now I am looking for...seventy five reviews? It'll probably never happen, but you never know. *Shrugs***


	32. Chapter 30

**Wow. I can't believe this story's almost over. I've got...seven chapters to go. Not much is going to happen in them, unfortunately. Do you guys think I should end it here and then write the sequel? Just let me know! Oh, and thanks once again to those who have reviewed!**

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[C H A P T E R 31]

The sound of metal dragging through the ground coursed through Amberpaw's ears, threatening to overwhelm her. Rain fell endlessly, and her tail was flopped in a puddle of water. Beside her, Icecloud, Dovefall and Birchfall were waiting impatiently. Amberpaw could see every now and then a Twoleg bring out some strange pellets and place it on the ground in a wide, flat object.

She knew they were trying to catch them. The Twolegs had already taken Snowbird, according to Ivytail. The ShadowClan warrior had been distraught when they found out their Clanmate was captured. Amberpaw knew that they would have to be rescued.

"How are we going to even help them?" Dovefall asked. Her golden eyes were wide with fear as one of the Twolegs stopped to watch them. It was a large male Twoleg, with hairier skin then the others. Amberpaw could see that he was about to reach out and grab one of them.

"Run!" she screeched. It reached out with its hairless paws and almost grabbed her. Luckily though she was just fast enough, and jumped out of the way. But the Twoleg didn't stop with her. Instead, it went for Birchfall, who was lagging behind. He yowled in surprise when the Twoleg suddenly latched its paws around his scruff.

Amberpaw whirled around, with eyes that were as wide as moons. The Twoleg was grunting as it carried Birchfall away. The tabby struggled desperately to get away, but the Twoleg was just too strong. The other Twolegs stopped doing their work as the older one lifted Birchfall. He meowed something Amberpaw couldn't understand, and the other Twolegs seemed to celebrate his deliberate thievery.

"No, Birchfall!" Dovefall cried. She watched with horror-filled eyes as her father was dragged away, into the unknown. Icecloud rested her tail on the gray she-cat's shoulder, while looking at Amberpaw with sympathy in her eyes. Before either of them could say anything, Dovefall bounded forward in a rush of fury. Amberpaw's own eyes widened when a Twoleg reached down to grab her.

With a hiss of frustration, the golden tabby apprentice surged forward, once again veering away to avoid any Twolegs. She reached Dovefall just in time, before the Twoleg could take her away as well. Dovefall hissed and spat furiously as Amberpaw and Icecloud dragged her back towards the forest. The new warrior didn't stop struggling until they reached a small clearing. She fell to her paws and began to wail like a lost kit.

"Why did they have to take him?" she cried. Her voice cracked with grief. Amberpaw and Icecloud exchanged worried glances. The whole forest would know they were out here, unguarded. "Why couldn't StarClan take me?"

Icecloud took a deep, uncomfortable breath. "They must have other motives for you," she murmured gently. But Dovefall didn't seem to listen. Just when Amberpaw thought things would get worse, Cinderstar led a patrol towards them. But to her dismay, Whitewing was part of it.

The white she-cat bounded forward. Her green eyes were wide with alarm when she spotted her daughter, slumped on the ground, wailing. "What happened?" she demanded. "Where's Birchfall?"

Amberpaw realized that they had no choice but to explain. As much as she hated to, she listened to the whole scene, once more. The patrol let their eyes widen with shock. Cinderstar bowed her head, while Firespirt and Branchfoot looked surprised. When Icecloud finished, a look of determination crossed Cinderstar's eyes.

"These Twolegs must be stopped," she meowed. The others murmured in agreement. "But we cannot do this alone," she added in a more quiet tone. "Tomorrow night, I will propose that we work together to stop them. I'm sure ShadowClan will agree."

**xXx**

A full moon floated high in the sky. Amberpaw looked up at it in awe, wondering how many more Gatherings she would come to. Part of her never wanted to stop being an apprentice. And yet, she desperately wanted to become a warrior.

Beside her, Blazepaw and Stripepaw itched to go and speak with the other apprentices. Amberpaw noticed that Dovefall and Brownfur were sitting together, speaking quietly about their lost father. Silently she prayed that the Twolegs wouldn't do anything. If something happened to her Clanmate, Amberpaw would make sure the Twolegs payed for their crime.

Cinderstar suddenly let out a yowl and led the Gathering patrol towards Fourrocks. But just when they were about to approach, Amberpaw heard surprised gasps. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw that the Twolegs had put sharp, pointy objects around the clearing. Some of the objects had a sticky liquid on the top, and it smelled foul. Her nose wrinkled at their rank stench.

"What do we do now?" Embertail asked. The light tortoiseshell was crouched beside Peppermint and Hazepelt. Neither Amberpaw's mother nor Hazepelt gave her any advice. Amberpaw could see no cat wanted to leave, or enter the area. She felt as though it was a trap. The Twolegs were planning something here.

"Hey!" All cats turned at the sound of Pouncetail's voice. The ginger-and-white tom was bounding through the undergrowth, with sharp, gasping pants. "We're all gathering near that small clearing where the hotsprings are," he explained when he finally reached them.

"Please, lead the way Pouncetail," Cinderstar said with a wave of her tail. Pouncetail nodded and led them back to where the hotsprings were. Amberpaw noticed that the Clans were huddled together, whispering fearfully about the Twolegs. She quickly spotted the cream-furred pelt of Dawnstar. The ShadowClan leader was no longer plump with kits, but lean and powerful looking.

"ThunderClan have arrived at last." It was Weaselstar who spoke. The WindClan leader was lounging about on one of the flatstones, and his pelt looked matted with moisture from the steam that rose from the ground.

When every cat was smooched together, Cinderstar glanced at Reedstar, Weaselstar and Dawnstar. Amberpaw felt uncomfortable between so many cats. She was squished between Duskfur and Clovefang, who both looked annoyed with the situation.

"We have to do something about these Twolegs!" Rainstorm yowled. His mottled gray fur was plastered with mud, as though he had been rolling in it. Others yowled in agreement, and the leaders waited for them to silence themselves.

"Too many cats have been taken," Dawnstar murmured. A sad look crossed her eyes, and she bowed her head in utter defeat. Amberpaw stared at the ShadowClan leader in dismay, and wished she could claw some sense into her.

_We can't give up! StarClan is depending on us to succeed, _she thought. Just when she thought no one could win, Cinderstar raised her tail. The gray tabby looked at every warrior, apprentice and elder with gleaming eyes.

"I have an idea," she announced. When all cats looked at her in surprise, she continued. "We must _fight_ the Twolegs."

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***Is happily listening to Mairead Nesbitt play her fiddle.* I just love the instrument. Anyways, we're getting ever so closer to the ending. I promise, the anguish will soon end. Please review :D**


	33. Chapter 31

**DAMN YOU FANFICTION! I had a whole chapter typed up, and couldn't even save it. So of course, the screwed site deleted it. Sorry if it's not as great, but blame the ass of a site that ruined it. Please excuse my language.**

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[ Chapter 32 ]

Silence surrounded the gathered cats. Goldenpaw shifted uncomfortably as some began to murmur, shooting uneasy glances at Cinderstar. But the ThunderClan leader just waited patiently. Her eyes betrayed nothing as Dawnstar rose to her paws and stared at her. Goldenpaw remembered hearing that long ago, Dawnstar and Cinderstar had once been friends. She could see that friendship now, sparking in Dawnstar's eyes.

"ShadowClan will fight," she announced. Scorchfur murmured something to her, and she narrowed her eyes. She snapped something that Goldenpaw understood, but wouldn't relay. Certainly, the cream-furred leader would announce it anyways. "As many of you already know, three warriors and an apprentice were taken in the last moon. We are growing tired of waiting, and we want our Clanmates back. We will fight until our last breaths, to get the Twolegs out of our territory."

Goldenpaw suddenly remembered hearing from Ivytail that Snowbird had been captured. She gulped, wondering how long it would be before a ThunderClan warrior or apprentice was taken. The thought unnerved her, and she tried not to think about it.

The other leaders exchanged wary glances. Reedstar looked ready to fight, as did several other RiverClan warriors. Pouncetail and Robinwing were bristling as though they were preparing for a fight. Sandfang looked around with battle-hungry eyes, and looked straight up at Reedstar, as though daring him to avoid a fight. Finally, the RiverClan leader stepped forward and stared down at every cat.

"We shall fight as well," he meowed. "If one Clans dies out, the others will as well." He looked at Weaselstar, who nodded in agreement.

Cinderstar stood up. Her eyes glittered with pride as she stared at the other leaders. "We will work together, like we did during the Journey," she said. "Each of us should send three battle patrols. That should be more then enough to scare away the Twolegs."

Reedstar, Dawnstar and Weaselstar bowed their heads. "Everyone!" Dawnstar called from her place one of the rocks. "This will not be an easy victory. The medicine cats will work double time, and I suggest you prepare before you fight. Apprentices should not go unless they've had at least five moons of training. Is there anything else?" She turned to the other leaders, addressing them all. The others shook their heads, and Dawnstar let out a sigh of relief. "Very well. Then the Gathering will continue for the next four or five days. We must not fight, unless it is truly necessary. Is that understood?"

When no one complained, Dawnstar leaped off the four rocks that surrounded the clearing. Cinderstar, Reedstar and Weaselstar quickly followed. Goldenpaw noticed that the warriors were itching for a fight. But somehow, it felt like many lives would be lost. She knew that there would be consequences for fighting the Twolegs. And no cat would want to accept those consequences.

"Something doesn't feel right," Goldenpaw whispered to Amberpaw when they were not within earshot. She had said the same thing to Blazepaw, and his only reply was a snort as he limped beside Emberfoot, whose tail was dragging across the ground. The Gathering had broken up, and the Clan was now returning home, with news of the upcoming battle.

To Goldenpaw's surprise, Amberpaw blinked in agreement. The golden tabby she-cat paused for a moment, before padding on. "I felt it too," she replied with a lash of her tabby-striped tail. "It feels...ominous. Like something bad is going to happen."

"How can we stop it from happening?" Goldenpaw asked. She wanted to wail. She had only had a short life, and it was being torn apart in just a few days. What good was being a warrior if she was going to die before she even earned her full name? Amberpaw suddenly stopped, and Leopardblaze nearly ran into her. He grunted and padded past her, casting a glare at the two she-cats.

"I know what we have to do!" she gasped. Her eyes widened and Goldenpaw stared at her in shock. "But we'll have to act quickly, and we both must use our powers." Goldenpaw nodded. Anything to save her Clanmates. "Lets go somewhere no one will find us."

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**So you can blame fanfiction for this chapter getting so short. It was going to be much longer but...oh well. Anyways, I will only have about forty chapters in this story. Only one more to go. The last book will be entitled Darkest Stars, and I'm sure you'll find out why after reading this one. Now please, go on and review. *Waves to readers* Try it, you might enjoy it.**


	34. Chapter 32

**Next chapter! Only...seven chapters to go. I can't believe it. I've been working on this series for so long, and it's finally almost over. Well, the next book probably won't come out until january, when college starts once more, but hopefully I'll at least have the allegiance and prologue typed up. Anyways, please read on my friends! I also accidentally realized that Emberfoot was dead, so please ignore the little comment I made about him!  
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[ Chapter 33 ]

Blazepaw let his claws tear up the ground. His eyes wavered with anticipation as he watched cats gather around the Smoothrock. Tension filled the air. They were all getting ready for the battle that was to come.

Part of Blazepaw looked forward to fighting. But another part of him realized that some cats would not come back. And that thought terrified him to the core. Questions of his father, Eagleheart filled his mind. What would they do if Peppermint died? How could they live on, knowing their mother and father were dead? He shuddered at the very possibilities, and tried not to think about it.

"And how are we going to fight the Twolegs, when we don't even know how many there are?" Blazepaw's ears pricked forward at the sound of Squirrelflight's voice. Stripefur, the newly named apprentice, was also nodding.

Stripefur had received his warrior name yesterday. Now, the pale gray tom had a boastful look on his face that made Blazepaw want to rake his claws across his muzzle.

"We'll do what ever it takes to get rid of them," Cinderstar replied. "As Dawnstar stated earlier, we will only allow apprentices who have had a few moons of training join. Embertail and Bumblestripe, you two must stay at the nursery to guard the entrance. If the Twolegs get as far as our camp..." She closed her eyes, and no one spoke to finish her sentence.

When she jumped off of the Smoothrock, she padded over to Blazepaw. He noticed that his sisters were no where to be seen. "Blazepaw, I know that you and your sisters only had a few moons of training, but I believe you are ready to fight," she meowed. "Runningmoon was your age when he fought his first battle."

Blazepaw's eyes stretched wide with awe, but he could only nod. Cinderstar flicked her tail and went over to her senior warriors. Blazepaw sighed and glanced around, hoping no one was watching or would notice his own disappearance. They were all too busy preparing for the fight that was ahead.

He limped towards the camp entrance, when something extra ordinary happened. The thistle tunnel began to shiver. There was no wind in the air. But the leaves continued shuddering, only stopping when Blazepaw exited. He looked over his shoulder, to see a starry shape bounding through the tunnel.

_What was that? _he thought. Shaking his head, Blazepaw mumbled to himself that he must be loosing it.

Soon, he reached the clearing where he discovered Amberpaw could speak to other animals. His ears pricked at the familiar chime of her voice. Blazepaw looked around and quickly spotted a golden tabby pelt, hiding in a holly bush.

"Amberpaw!" he growled. Suddenly Amberpaw hurried to her paws. She whirled around to face him, gray eyes glaring. "What are you doing? We should be--" He was cut off by her impatient hiss.

"You just scared away another recruit!" she snarled.

"What do you mean?" Blazepaw demanded.

His eyes narrowed when he saw that Goldenpaw was sitting beside a falcon. It's beady eyes were full of a sharp sense that made Blazepaw shiver. Exactly what could that falcon see, besides them?

"This is Chronis," Amberpaw explained when she noticed his confusion. "He's decided to help us. He's...one of the falcons who helped Hollystar."

Blazepaw stared at the falcon in astonishment. "You mean to tell me that he's that old?" he hissed.

Amberpaw nodded. "Falcons live a lot longer then cats," she replied. "We're lucky, his friends are more then happy to fight the Twolegs."

"You know we're supposed to fight, right?" he murmured. His head was bent. He was thinking of Peppermint, and how she would react to the news. He just hoped that she didn't end up like Silverpond, who died of depression.

"Yes," Amberpaw replied with a shake of her head. She was thinking the same thing. "Peppermint will be proud of us. She knows the risks of kits going off into battle."

Goldenpaw padded up to them, with the falcon hopping after her. Again, Blazepaw was amazed that his sister could speak to such a creature. He noticed that the falcon didn't seem a bit bothered by them, and wondered if they lived with cats more then once.

"We should get back," Goldenpaw mewed. She shifted uncomfortably on the ground, and Blazepaw noticed that her ribs were sticking out. "The Clan will start wondering where we are."

A silent, sulky mood followed the young cats as they padded back to camp. The falcon took off to warn its friends of the upcoming event. Blazepaw knew the Clan would be worried if they did not return soon.

Suddenly, a rank stench filled the air. Blazepaw's ears pricked forward with anxiety. The stench was familiar: It smelled of ShadowClan. He exchanged a wary glance with Amberpaw and Goldenpaw, and bounded forward, only to meet the claws of a warrior.

Blazepaw yowled in pain as his paw began to throb uncontrollably. The warrior was jabbing him sharply on the sides, while Amberpaw and Goldenpaw fought with a large cat.

"You three will _not_ fulfill the prophecy," a cunning, cold voice sneered. "I will make sure of that."

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**OMG! I really wasn't expecting it to happen this quickly. But anyways, please review, it makes me happy :D**


	35. Chapter 33

**I'm back! So thanks to everyone who's reviewed. I really appreciate it. Hopefully, this chapter will be much longer. But...unfortunately I think I've lost my writing mojo. I'm not sure. Well, please review, as always!**

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[ Chapter 33 ]

Sheer terror gripped at Amberpaw's heart as she felt needle-sharp claws rip at her pelt. A claw was placed near her throat, and she heard a sneering voice as he spoke of the prophecy. Around her, other cats were struggling to control Blazepaw and Goldenpaw. But Blazepaw was fast. He whipped around with lightning-fast speed, and knocked down the biggest cat; Amberpaw recognized him as Twigleaf, a brown-and-white tom whom she'd met at a Gathering once.

"Leave us alone!" Blazepaw spat. His fur was fluffed out, making him look twice his size. But Amberpaw could see the fear in his eyes. She coughed slightly when the cat's claws dug into her throat, causing blood to sputter out. Blazepaw's eyes darkened with rage, and he rammed into the cat gripping Amberpaw.

She dropped onto the ground, choking and shivering. The cat was none other then Sapfur. His dark brown fur was dusty looking, and matted with sweat. He had a wild look in his eyes, as though he were being hunted. _Or haunted! _Amberpaw's eyes widened when she realized that was why he was attacking the siblings. He was afraid they would turn out like Firestar, their long distant kin.

Suddenly, the three cats stopped what they were doing. Amberpaw had to narrow her eyes to see why. A pale gray shape rippled through the forest, moving like water. Dark blue eyes glowed with cold fury, and for a moment, Amberpaw was afraid he would attack her as well. But to her surprise and shock, Stripefur lunged at Sapfur. The two warriors spit at each other while circling one another.

Stripefur's eyes gleamed as he took another step towards Amberpaw. She shuddered when she realized that he was about to kill her. But just when she believed he would, he swiped a long claw across Sapfur's muzzle.

"Traitor!" Sapfur spat. His eyes were glittering as he glared at Stripefur. "We should have known you would be too weak to follow through on our plans."

Stripefur snorted. His whiskers twitched with amusement, and Sapfur flattened his ears. "Honestly, did you really think I would betray my Clan?" he snarled. A bitter look fell across his face, making Amberpaw remember his moments around Squirrelflight. "I am an agent from StarClan," he meowed. "They sent me to the Dark Forest to find out what you were up to. Well, it looks like we now know."

Amberpaw's eyes grew round with utter shock, as did the rest of the ShadowClan warriors. They all exchanged glances, and then looked back at Stripefur. "Who else can we not trust?" he hissed.

The pale gray warrior chuckled, causing a shiver to run through Amberpaw's spine. She had never seen Stripefur this dark. Now she really understood why Squirrelflight and Blazepaw had been afraid of him.

"You will find out soon enough," Stripefur replied. "Now leave, before I chew your tails off."

The ShadowClan warriors took a pace backwards before bounding off into the distance. Amberpaw stared after them, wondering if they had really gone. She tried to raise to her paws, but a sharp pain kept her from moving. Goldenpaw's injuries weren't too bad. All she had was a torn ear, and a bite mark near her shoulder. Blazepaw on the other hand had no injuries, much to Amberoaw's surprise.

He had taken on two full-grown ShadowClan warriors, and didn't even seem tired. Suddenly something struck Amberpaw. _His power! His powers are finally working, _she thought. A twinge of guilt surged through her when she remembered telling him that she could speak to other animals. He had been furious at first. And even Goldenpaw had the power to hear and see things very far away. Now they knew Blazepaw's power. But how were they going to use it to defeat the cats of the Dark Forest?

"She's lost a lot of blood," Stripefur meowed. "We'll have to carry her back to the medicine cats' den," he added. His tone was full of stiffness, as though he didn't want to think about helping another cat. Especially those who were kin of Squirrelflight. Especially with his secret exposed.

Now Amberpaw knew who he was. He was Ashfur, the cat who had tried to kill Leafpool's kits, out of revenge for Squirrelflight. Squirrelflight had chosen Bramblestar as her mate, which had infuriated Ashfur. In fact, it had driven him mad. Just the very thought that she was talking to a cat from StarClan made her shiver.

Goldenpaw helped Stripefur drag her back into camp. Amberpaw groaned when she heard Peppermint's mew of surprise. Their mother bounded over to their surprise, and glared at Stripefur when she noticed the blood stained on his claws.

"How could you harm your own Clanmates?" Peppermint hissed. Her hackles rose, and her eyes glittered with pain for her daughters. "My beautiful kits," she murmured when she noticed the scratches and scars.

"He didn't hurt them," Blazepaw meowed defensively. Amberpaw stared at him in surprise, but he continued, "He was defending us from a couple of...Twolegs."

Stripefur's ears pricked forward. Goldenpaw nodded in agreement. There was a mischievous gleam in her eyes as she played along. "Oh yes, there had to be three or four Twolegs," she added. "We would have been captured if it weren't for Stripefur."

Cinderstar padded up to join her, and her eyes glittered for a moment as she stared at Stripefur. "Congratulations Stripefur," she purred. "But Amberpaw, I'm afraid you won't be able to fight, not with those wounds." She turned to where Rainshower was sitting. The blue-gray tom's eyes were narrowed. He had a calculating look to them that made Amberpaw want to swipe her paw across his muzzle. "Rainshower, check those wounds please."

The medicine cat nodded and did as he was told. He moved Amberpaw, Stripefur and Goldenpaw to the medicine cat's den. Blazepaw waited outside, since he had no injuries. All cats were shocked to hear that Stripefur had helped out Peppermint's kits, and were now gossipping about it. Rainshower sniffed at Amberpaw's wounds carefully. His eyes narrowed when he saw the claw marks around her neck.

"You were attacked by ShadowClan cats, weren't you?" he whispered.

Amberpaw's eyes flew wide open with shock. She shuddered when she saw that Stripefur and Goldenpaw were waiting for her outside. "Y-yes," she replied reluctantly.

"Then how is it that you were able to survive the attack?" Rainshower was now staring at her, with a crazed look. Amberpaw backed away, fearing for her life. She had never seen the medicine cat in this condition before. Blazepaw had once told her that he was mad, but now, she believed him.

"Stripefur saved us," she lied. "H...he's an...agent sent down by StarClan." Her voice stammered. It was low and flat, filled with defeat. She couldn't lie to him. Stripefur did save them, but only with the help of StarClan.

Rainshower's eyes widened with disbelief. "Well, it seems we have more then one cat walking amongst stars here," he murmured. Amberpaw couldn't tell whether or not he was talking to her or himself.

Soon after he was finished rambling to himself, he applied a poultice of herbs and cobwebs on her wounds. He ordered her to rest in the apprentices' den, saying there was no room for her in his own. But she noticed all of his nests were empty, and she bet all of her fresh-kill he just wanted her to leave. Either way, she was more then happy to leave the crazed-minded medicine cat.

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**Wow, this was my longest one yet, I think...*looks back* Nope, chapter 1 was my longest. But this comes in as second. Anyways, please review, I'm dying to update!**


	36. Chapter 34

**lol sorry I couldn't resist updating. Something told me that I just had to write another chapter just to find out what would happen, even though I have the plot written down here. Anyways, thanks to those who have reviewed! Also, we're getting down to the last four chapters! I'm really not sure how to end this...But this is the scene where they fight the Twolegs, so please, review and you'll find out what happens next!**

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[ Chapter 35 ]

Cats shifted uneasily against the dying light, waiting for the Twolegs to disappear into their green dens. A day had passed since their encounter with Sapfur, and Goldenpaw was still on edge. Now, no thanks to him, Amberpaw couldn't fight alongside them. But Stripefur was at her side, watching the Twolegs, and Sapfur, carefully.

The dark brown tom's kinked tail was lashing furiously every time he even looked at Stripefur. He whispered something into Twigleaf's ear, and the light brown-and-white warrior nodded. Goldenpaw was still on shock after finding out that Stripefur was actually Ashfur, a cat sent down by StarClan to spy on the cats from the Dark Forest. She remembered all the stories of Ashfur that Squirrelflight once told her, and Peppermint.

Her gaze flitted towards the Twoleg's nests. They were made out of some soft material, and they made a flapping noise every time the wind tore through the trees. Stars were gleaming coldly above them, as if waiting to take the lives of the warriors who were about to fight.

The forest itself was dead silent, except for the noises the Twolegs made. Reedstar himself was pacing along the riverbed that used to flow. His amber eyes were gleaming with anticipation at the thought of ripping his claws through Twoleg flesh.

"This waiting is making my fur crawl," Hazepelt muttered. He was sitting beside Flightwing, who nodded in agreement. "When are we supposed to fight anyways, I don't see any better opportunity then now."

"Stop whining and keep your jaws shut," Birchfall snapped. Hazepelt crouched down even lower, but he glared at the older warrior just the same.

Suddenly, the four leaders came together. Dawnstar had chosen to fight, despite Scorchfur's desperate pleas for her to stay home. Goldenpaw grinned when she remembered hearing their argument across the border.

"_You're not going!" Scorchfur hissed. Three tiny bundles were mewling in the nursery, cuddling close to one another. His amber eyes blazed with passion and love as he looked at his mate and leader._

_Dawnstar lifted her chin, a proud heir crossing her face. "I have nine lives to loose," she replied confidently. "I will fight, and we will win."_

At that point Goldenpaw stopped listening, when Scorchfur began swearing up a storm. She chuckled to herself lightly, amused at the thoughts. Scorchfur seemed more like a worried mother then a Clan deputy at times.

"Everyone!" Cinderstar called. She tried to keep her voice down, in order to avoid waking the Twolegs. All cats shifted their attention towards her and the other leaders. "Tonight, lives will be lost. But a great victory will be won. Tonight, we will fight!"

Her cry was taken up by several cats. But Goldenpaw looked up at the sky. Where was Chronis? He was supposed to be here by now, with the others. But the sky was clear, with just a claw-mark for a moon.

Cinderstar, Reedstar and Dawnstar sat back as Weaselstar led the first wave of the attack. Several WindClan warriors charged through the riverbed, tearing up grass and wooden objects that belonged to the Twolegs. Goldenpaw watched as Hawkclaw raked her claws across the green pelt.

Twolegs let out startled cries as they were attacked head first. They were scrambling out of their nests, looking like they'd seen cats from StarClan. A large male Twoleg shouted an order to the others, and they scrambled into position as Reedstar led the second wave.

Goldenpaw had to shut down her hearing as their screeches and howls of pain grew louder. The stench of blood lay heavily in the air, causing her to shudder. Goldenpaw could hear the Twolegs shouting and throwing rocks and other objects at the cat. A body hit the ground with a sickening thud, bones crunching against it.

"Look out!" She recognized Weaselstar's cry and stared out in horror. One of the Twolegs had emerged from the green pelt with a long pointy object. It was round, but thin as well, and it was shiny. The object made a clicking noise, and something exploded from the stick. Suddenly, a cat screeched in pain and agony. Her eyes widened when she saw Rainstorm fall to the ground.

His mottled gray fur was already motted with blood, which fell endlessly to the ground. Goldenpaw watched, trembling, as Blazepaw rested his tail on her shoulder. "We won't let that happen," he whispered to her.

Suddenly, Cinderstar rose to her paws. Her blue eyes were wild with panic, but a new set of determination glittered in them. "ThunderClan, attack!"

At the same time, Dawnstar screeched out the order as well. The two Clans rushed into battle, without once looking back.

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***Sigh* Yet another short chapter. But I had to end it here. Anyways, just thought I should let you guys know that I finally created a blogspot. The URL is posted on my profile, if you would like to check it out.**


	37. Chapter 35

**Hey everyone! Well, just two more chapters and then the epilogue. Wow, I can't believe that this story is almost over. Oh well, you still get one more story, the other one I'm working on, and then the one I'm working on with Snowfire. Well, please review, like always!**

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[ Chapter 36 ]

Fury swept through Blazepaw as his claws tore through Twoleg flesh. The Twoleg howled in pain as he swiped downwards. It was almost amusing to Blazepaw, watching the stupid creature stomp around as blood seeped from the wound he gave it. But Blazepaw didn't have time for fun. His eyes narrowed with rage as the Twoleg swung a giant, hairless paw down at his head.

Quickly, he dodged to the side, barely missing the slam. The Twoleg howled once more as its paw slammed on the hard, rocky ground. Blazepaw hardly had time to react as it reached out for his scruff.

It managed to hold him as he struggled desperately from its grasp. Suddenly, Owlflight rammed into the Twoleg, causing it to tremble slightly and release its grip.

"Go help Whitewater," Owlflight hissed. Blazepaw nodded, panting and gasping for breath.

He did as Owlflight said and bounded over to the long-haired white cat. Her good eye was blazing with triumph as she swiped her claws across a Twoleg's paw. Blazepaw joined in, narrowly missing a hind paw as it stomped down towards him. Whitewater grinned viciously as the Twoleg stumbled forward.

"These Twolegs are dumber then prey," she muttered as she padded beside Blazepaw.

_I wouldn't say that now, _he thought. The Twolegs were smart enough to fight back, as more thunderous sounds exploded in the air. He winced slightly as another cat screeched in pain. There was nothing they could do for those who were hit by those firesticks. Not even the medicine cats would be able to save them.

Suddenly, a screech sounded from above. Blazepaw looked up in surprise. Utter shock took over as creatures flew down effortlessly towards the Twolegs, unfolding their wings and extending their talons. The Twolegs cried out in despair as their talons tore through their flesh.

_Chronis did it! _Excitement now pulsed through him as he watched. Everywhere falcons were flying, Twolegs ran for their lives, shouting terrified cries as they did so. He recognized Chronis as the large bird dug his talons into the skin of a Twoleg, causing it to howl in frustration.

Soon, most of the Twolegs began to run. They were all wailing out in terror, trying to escape the fury of the predators of the sky.

"What's going on?" Blazepaw recognized Tigerheart's voice. He suddenly wondered if the dark brown tabby was remembering the day the rogues attacked the Clans, back at the lake. Blazepaw himself remembered the story Brightheart told him.

Long ago, back when Hollystar was still the deputy, a group of rogues had attacked the Clans. But she had the same powers as Amberpaw, and used them to fight back. The Clans had won, and only because they had the help of predators like the falcons.

The Twolegs were eventually gone. Only a few lay on the ground, bleeding their lives out. Blazepaw looked at them with a strange sense of triumph. The Clans won, once more. He noticed the rest of the warriors struggling to get to their paws, and padded over to them.

Whitewater had a ragged looking scar going down her blind eye. Willowclaw and Hawkclaw looked severely wounded, from what looked like long, sharp looking sticks. Pouncetail's body rested alongside Rainstorm's. And to his horror, there were a few dead ThunderClan warriors as well: Birchfall was dead, along with Mudtalon.

Blazepaw shuddered, suddenly realizing that the death toll could have been much worse. He just hoped...His eyes widened with joy at the sight of Goldenpaw. Stripefur was helping her up. Her shoulder was badly wounded, and blood was seeping from her mouth as she limped forward.

"How are you feeling?" he asked when she approached.

Her eyes glittered, but they had the same mocking look as they had before. She purred and rubbed her muzzle against his own. "We won," she whispered.

Suddenly, a falcon hopped over to them. His beady black eyes held a look of intelligence as he stared straight at them. Blazepaw turned and dipped his head, remembering what Chronis looked like.

"We couldn't have done it without you," he murmured.

The falcon let out a shrill cry before taking off, soaring through the clouds. Blazepaw watched in awe, suddenly wondering what it must feel like, to soar through the air. As he watched, he realized that there was no need. His home was back on the ground, with ThunderClan.

"Cinderstar lost a life," Stripefur meowed when they were away from the Clan. "Her wounds aren't too bad though."

Blazepaw nodded. He knew that Cinderstar had plenty of lives to loose. He wasn't worried.

As they padded over to where Rainshower was tending to wounds, he noticed that Cinderstar wasn't around. He glanced up and saw that she was speaking with Reedstar, Weaselstar and Dawnstar. The four leaders looked like old friends, eager to share tongues and words.

"Who else could speak to animals besides Hollystar?" Weaselstar muttered. His tone wasn't angry. But Blazepaw could see that he was jealous.

"I don't know," Cinderstar admitted. "I had my suspicions about Peppermint's kits, but...I let it slide." She shrugged, and Weaselstar lashed his tail.

"Of course, the great ThunderClan always has some sort of prophecy," Dawnstar sighed.

Blazepaw's eyes widened with fear. The leaders were trying to figure out where the falcons came from. What if they found out it came from Amberpaw? Would they be angry with them? He shook his head, suddenly realizing that they would have to fulfill the prophecy sooner then he'd hoped.

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**Well, there you have it. Now there's two more chapters and the epilogue, like I said. And don't forget to look at my blog, I've posted a preview of Darkest Stars and I think you'll like it^^**


	38. Chapter 36

**As stated earlier, only one chapter left, and then an epilogue. I can't believe it has finally come down to this. Well, tomorrow I will be in New York, and the rest of the week might be booked, due to Christmas. Anyways, if I don't get to it by then, happy holidays everyone, and Merry Christmas!**

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[ Chapter 37 ]

"Let all cats old enough gather around the Smoothrock for a Clan meeting!" Amberfire looked up at the sound of Cinderstar's voice. A moon had passed since the battle.

During that time, Poppyfrost's kits became apprentices. Aspenpaw was given to Firespirit as an apprentice. The young warriors' eyes gleamed every time he thought about his enthusiastic apprentice, who was now bouncing around. Midnightpaw had been given to Leopardblaze as a mentor. The older warrior was much more calm then Aspenpaw, which meant that Leopardblaze and Midnightpaw were a perfect match.

Amberfire, Blazeclaw and Goldenleaf all earned their warrior names a couple of suns after. Briarleaf's kits had also come in the time when they relaxed. They were named Toadkit, Fawnkit and Lionkit.

Over the last moon, the Clans had all formed a sign of peace, to ensure that they fully recovered from the battle with the Twolegs. The falcons promised Amberfire that they would leave the Clans alone as well, since they too had many injuries to deal with.

Now, tonight, there would be a full moon. Peace was coming at an end, with leafbare coming. The days were growing shorter, and prey, growing scarcer by the moments. It was as though they knew that cold times were ahead, and they wanted to get out of it while they could.

When the Clan gathered around the Smoothrock, Cinderstar looked down to address the Clan. "Now, I know you are all anxious about who will go to the Gathering," she began. "But I will only allow a few cats to come. The rest must stay here, in case the Twolegs decide to come back and attack us."

The warriors around Amberfire began to grumble with disagreement. Bumblestripe looked furious, while Rosefoot and Stripefur looked relieved. Rosefoot was helping Briarleaf in the nursery, while she waited for her kits to come. Her belly was plump with kits, and Amberfire knew it wouldn't be long before they came. It was a good thing for the Clan; more kits meant more apprentices. And apprentices was the one thing the Clan needed the most.

Squirrelflight had moved to the elders' den, sleeping with Brightheart. Mousewhisker had died from a wound that could not be healed by Rainshower, while Rainshower himself seemed to be loosing his mind every day. At one point, Amberfire was certain the medicine cat would slip and turn to the point of insanity. But luckily, he had not shown signs of changing since that dramatic moment.

As Cinderstar began to list the cats who would come with her, Amberfire looked at Blazeclaw. He was much stronger now, since she had first opened her eyes. His muscles were pulsing from his thick pelt, while his eyes had a deep and thoughtful look. Goldenleaf on the other hand, was a delicate figure. She seemed to grow closer to Stripefur everyday, and Amberfire couldn't blame her.

She still blinked in surprise every time she realized that he was an agent, sent down by StarClan to protect the cats of ThunderClan from those of the Dark Forest. Amberfire tried not to think about what had happened between Stripefur and Sapfur, as the two warriors battled it out.

The golden tabby flinched slightly when she felt someone nudge her playfully. Amberfire looked over her shoulder to see that it was Icestorm, her former mentor. Amberfire had almost forgotten how much Icestorm did for her. The white she-cat was almost like a second mother to Amberfire, and it was heartwarming to see that the warrior was going to the Gathering, along with her.

"This should be an interesting Gathering," she murmured as the meeting broke apart.

"I'm worried about what those ShadowClan warriors will do," Amberfire admitted with a guilty shake of her head. She shouldn't even have thought about it.

Most of the cats didn't even know that the majority of cats in ShadowClan were reincarnations of those who had been exiled to the Dark Forest. She believed they'd be terrified if they knew.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about them," Blazeclaw chuckled darkly. His green eyes flashed with mischief as he looked at Amberfire. That old, competitive spark remained, and Amberfire dropped into an attackers' crouch. Blazeclaw rolled his eyes, and she lunged forward with her claws sheathed. He hardly had time to react as she knocked him over, ramming into his chest. "I was just kidding!" he gasped when she stood with one paw on his throat.

"Sure you were," Amberfire purred.

She missed the old times, when she and Blazeclaw would constantly bicker over something. Goldenleaf had always acted like their second mother, stopping them from arguing. But even she had her fair share of arguments, and even now, it made Amberfire bark with laughter.

"Are you two kits or warriors?" She whirled around at the sound of Birchfall's snort. His amber eyes were brimming with annoyance, but Amberfire could sense a feeling of family within him.

"We were just testing out how powerful we were," Blazeclaw put in as he struggled to his paws. Amberfire let go and watched as he stood up. He glared at her before looking back at Birchfall. "Besides, can't even warriors have a good time?"

The older cat just shrugged and padded away, lashing his tail as he did so. Amberfire exchanged a look with Blazeclaw before padding over to Goldenleaf, who was speaking quietly to Stripefur. The pale ginger she-cat looked quiet at home, rubbing her muzzle against his. Amberfire couldn't help but roll her eyes. She was annoyed with the fact that Goldenleaf had already found her true love, and she was barely a full moon-old warrior.

"Aren't you going to the Gathering Stripefur?" Amberfire asked when he didn't move from his spot.

His blue eyes were glittering with something Amberfire couldn't make sense of. She shrugged it off as he began to speak. "Cinderstar told me to keep watch," he replied. "She said that she has something planned for you three tomorrow," he added with a wide-toothed grin.

Amberfire's eyes widened a little when he stalked away. What ever plan Cinderstar held for them, Amberfire knew it wouldn't good.

Soon, the cats began to leave as Cinderstar led them towards the Gathering. A full moon hovered in the night sky, shedding a silver light over the forest. Amberfire could have sworn she saw several cats with stars in their fur, running alongside the Clan as they reached FourRocks. Shadows of cats descended upon the Clan as they approached.

"Hey Amberfire, how's it going?" She blinked in surprise at the friendliness of Snowbird's voice as she approached the pure white she-cat. Snowbird had been one of the many captured cats in the Clans. The warrior had always been quiet, and a lessor known cat. But Amberfire liked Snowbird, and hoped they could be good friends in times to come.

"It's going," Amberfire replied with a respectful dip of her head. Snowbird nodded and turned to a light brown she-cat with a white underbelly. Seeing as she wouldn't get any more words from Snowbird, she padded along the path to where several apprentices were clustered.

"Wow, you saw all of that?" Aspenpaw was mewling. His blue eyes were wide as he listened to Berrypaw--a tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat--tell her story.

"Yep, those Twolegs didn't stand a chance though," she purred.

"Let all those gather around to listen to the Gathering!" Amberfire recognized Weaselstar's yowl and turned to watch him. "Who would like to begin?" He looked at the other leaders who were around. Dawnstar narrowed her eyes slightly, while Reedstar just shook his head. With a sigh, Cinderstar stood to address the rest of the Clans.

"I will begin," she announced. "All is well in ThunderClan," she began, "We have two new apprentices: Aspenpaw and Midnightpaw." She paused to let the Clans congratulate their promotion. "We also have three new warriors: Amberfire, Blazeclaw and Goldenleaf." The Clans cheered for them as well, but there were a few disgruntled murmurs coming from ShadowClan.

Amberfire whirled around and saw that Sapfur was sneering at her with a malicious look. She glared at him before looking back at the leaders. Not much happened in ShadowClan either. Dawnstar announced that Kinkfur retired to the elders' den just yesterday. Weaselstar and Reedstar had little to report as well. Suddenly, whispers fell upon the cats as the Gathering began to break up.

Some cats were glaring at each other, while others just ignored them and went over to their own Clanmates. Amberfire suddenly realized that the time of peace had come to an end. The time to fight the shadows that approached, was coming near. And she, along with her siblings, would have to fight it. Whether they wanted to or not.

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**So, I rewarded you guys with an extra long chapter. Now, it's time for the epilogue. Do you guys think you can handle it? Well, you may have no choice someday. Anyways, please review!**


	39. Epilogue

**OMG! This is it, isn't it? Finally, after a long awaited story. Now, I know most of you wanted the sequel to come out now, but I have other plans. First off, I want to start really working on SageClan, the founding. So before I post the sequel, I will work on that story. Also, updates might be less frequent due to the chaos of Christmas and New Years. So, happy holidays everyone! Oh, and thanks to those who have reviewed, lets see if I can make it to the one hundred marker!**

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[ Epilogue ]

The air was thick, and cool with the scents of a frosty leafbare. Not a creature moved within the dark forest. Silence was everywhere, and yet, it felt as though thousands of eyes were staring upon a single cat, sitting over a murky pool.

His ice-blue eyes gleamed with cold dread as he looked into the pool. He was the ruler of this forest now. Or so he thought. All of the others had left, abandoned their true callings as spirits of the dead. He knew that there were creatures, far more powerful then cats looming in the shadows. They were waiting, and watching, for the perfect chance to strike.

Suddenly, a chilling wind shuddered through the trees, causing their trunks to groan and moan in pain. The dark-furred cat looked up in surprise as a bright light moved towards him.

Before he could react, the light exploded around the clearing, filling the trees with life, and creating an illumination like no other. A flame-colored pelt appeared, followed by a dark brown tabby, so much similar to the dark-furred tom. A third cat with a black pelt followed them. Her piercing green eyes seemed to penetrate his own as he gazed at them with an open mouth.

"What do you want?" he hissed, narrowing his eyes.

The flame-colored cat stepped forward. The dark-furred cat blinked in surprise as the cat pressed his muzzle on his forehead. Instantly, warmth spread through his veins at the slightest touch. Life flooded back into his cold eyes, and he was a powerful warrior, like the one he had once been during his lifetime.

"This is bad enough for us," murmured the dark brown tabby tom. "We shouldn't even be here. That shadow could--" The ginger tom stopped him with a lash of his tail.

"We will not be harmed," the black she-cat mewed as she licked his shoulder. "I know you're worried Bramblestar, but Hawkfrost may be our only hope," she added.

Bramblestar snorted and looked at her with rage-filled eyes. "Does it even matter that your own granddaughter's life is in danger?" he snarled.

She recoiled as though a stone had been thrown at her. Hawkfrost narrowed his eyes at his half-brother. It had been Bramblestar's fault that he was here in the first place. And now the former leader was rubbing it in his muzzle.

"Enough!" snapped the flame-colored tom. "We can't afford any fights. It might attract the shadow," he added in a lower voice. He turned to Hawkfrost, who was still observing the argument through narrowed eyes. "You are our only hope," he meowed with a formal dip of his head, "The kits will be able to stop the creature, but not without you. You must guide them. And allow them to seal the path that has been opened."

Hawkfrost was about to speak when the cats disappeared. He curled his lips in a sneering snarl. Never again would he help his half-brother. Even if it meant destroying the Clans. He would rely on his own senses to avoid getting attacked by the shadow creature. And he would watch with triumph as the Clans fell apart, one by one.

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**Okay, so that epilogue was a tad short. I apologize. It was sort of a prologue-epilogue thingy, so...yeah. Anyways, that's the end of my fourth book! Now, to read the synopsis, just go to my profile and check it out!**


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